Dr. Higano on Docetaxel for Hormone-Sensitive Prostate Cancer

Celestia Higano, MD, professor of Medicine and Urology, University of Washington, member of the Clinical Research Division at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, discusses results of docetaxel (Taxotere) versus hormone therapy in patients with metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer.

For the first time, docetaxel demonstrated a very large difference in median overall survival (OS) compared with hormone therapy alone. This is one of the biggest improvements in survival that has been seen in oncology, explains Higano.

One thing to be cautious of is the impact this might have down the line. Docetaxel is usually used for metastatic castration-resistant disease, and now that it is being used for those who have metastatic hormone-sensitive disease, it might not work as well. There are some data that suggest that this happens in the castration-resistant setting, so practitioners will be cognizant of how they place docetaxel in a disease, states Higano.