About Careers MedBlog Contact us
Medindia LOGIN REGISTER
Advertisement

Exploring the Use of Abiraterone Acetate Drug to Treat Prostate Cancer

by Madhumathi Palaniappan on April 7, 2017 at 12:59 PM
Font : A-A+

Exploring the Use of Abiraterone Acetate Drug to Treat Prostate Cancer

Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels remain high in prostate cancer patients despite the initial hormone treatments. The patients were found to have poor prognosis and survive typically between 1-2 year range.

PSA levels are screened for diagnosing prostate cancer in men. The study results of a 40-person clinical trial published in the journal JAMA Oncology, found that around 13% of patients were able to show a strong response with the use of a hormonal drug called abiraterone acetate, where the PSA levels fell from 4.0ng/ml to below 0.2ng/ml.

Advertisement


There was an additional 33% patients who showed partial response to the drug and the PSA levels were ranging between 0.2 and 4ng/ml.

"We set an especially high bar with our goal of reducing PSA to below 0.2, which is very low, especially for this high-risk population. The trial did not meet its success criteria of six full responders, but we feel that with five full responders and evidence that many more patients also received some benefit from the drug, abiraterone acetate deserves more study in this population," says Thomas W. Flaig, MD, investigator at the University of Colorado Cancer Center and the trial's national primary investigator.
Advertisement

Flaig also points to this trial as important evidence of the evolution of hormone therapy in prostate cancer.

"We used to think that if a patient's cancer progressed despite traditional hormone therapy, that was it for hormone therapy. Now we see that's not the case. It may just be that the first drug wasn't strong enough, or that cancer became hypersensitive to any remaining androgen. Now with drugs like abiraterone we can almost completely cut off a cancer's ability to drive its growth with androgen and we see this drug working even after the initial, standard hormone therapy has failed," Flaig says.

The trial is one of many exploring the use of abiraterone acetate in various prostate cancer settings, including uses earlier in the sequence of treatment, and in patients with less progressed disease.

"This is one of the first studies to focus on this high-risk group of patients with early failure of hormone induction therapy. Seeing this level of response in patients that had previously been dubbed 'hormone resistant' reinforces our hope that this drug will help many kinds of patients in many settings," Flaig says.



Source: Eurekalert
Advertisement

Advertisement
Advertisement

Recommended Reading

Latest Drug News

Are Painkillers Safe for Back Pain?
Safety and effectiveness of commonly used painkillers (analgesics) for short-term relief of low back pain remain uncertain.
 India's First Urinary Incontinence Drug Launched
India's First Urinary Incontinence Drug Fesobig may offer Affordable treatment for Overactive Bladder (OAB), a widely prevalent problem among Indian men and women.
 New Ray of Hope for Atrial Fibrillation Patients With Kidney Disease
Oral anticoagulant drugs, particularly Rivaroxaban presented superior efficacy and safety than warfarin in atrial fibrillation patients with chronic kidney disease.
Anti-viral Drug Bulevirtide Helps Treat Chronic Hepatitis D
Patients with hepatitis D virus-related chronic advanced liver disease are treated with an antiviral therapy.
Antiviral Drug Paxlovid Linked to Lower Risk of Hospital Admission
Among people with COVID-19, Paxlovid drug was found to reduce hospitalization and death risk by 90%, revealed study.
View All
This site uses cookies to deliver our services.By using our site, you acknowledge that you have read and understand our Cookie Policy, Privacy Policy, and our Terms of Use  Ok, Got it. Close
×

Exploring the Use of Abiraterone Acetate Drug to Treat Prostate Cancer Personalised Printable Document (PDF)

Please complete this form and we'll send you a personalised information that is requested

You may use this for your own reference or forward it to your friends.

Please use the information prudently. If you are not a medical doctor please remember to consult your healthcare provider as this information is not a substitute for professional advice.

Name *

Email Address *

Country *

Areas of Interests