Stratification of patients with metastatic prostate cancer based on extent of disease on initial bone scan

Pain palliative therapy in women with breast cancer osseous metastatic disease and the role of specific serum cytokines as prognostic factors

PURPOSE

To evaluate the efficacy of radionuclide palliative therapy (RPT) in women suffering from painful metastatic bone disease (MBD) due to breast cancer (BrCa), and to investigate the possible relationship between the RPT efficacy and cytokines levels.

METHODS

Sixty-three BrCa women patients with MBD enrolled in a prospective, nonrandomized study. Thirty were treated with Rhenium-186-hydroxyethylidenediphosphonic acid ((186)Re-HEDP), 21 with Strontium-89-Chloride ((89)Sr-Cl2), and 12 with Samarium-153-thylenediaminetetramethylenephosphonic acid ((153)Sm-EDTMP). Blood samples were collected pre- and post-therapy to assess the interleukin (IL)-2, IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-a titers. The palliative effect of the treatment was evaluated using a modified Wisconsin test.

RESULTS

All three radiopharmaceuticals were equally effective in pain relief. Pain palliation was complete in 52% of patients, partial in 31%, and absent in 16%. Responders to therapy had higher IL-2 and lower IL-6/TNF-a concentrations, compared with nonresponders, even though statistically significant difference in cytokines levels between responders and nonresponders before treatment was noted only for IL-6.

CONCLUSION

All used radiopharmaceuticals had the same therapeutic effect. Pretherapy low titers of IL-6 levels seems to have a favorable prognostic value for the therapeutic outcome, while IL-2 and TNF-a alterations pre- and post-therapy can only serve as markers of a better RPT response.

Enhanced diagnostic accuracy for quantitative bone scan using an artificial neural network system: a Japanese multi-center database project

Background

Artificial neural network (ANN)-based bone scan index (BSI), a marker of the amount of bone metastasis, has been shown to enhance diagnostic accuracy and reproducibility but is potentially affected by training databases. The aims of this study were to revise the software using a large number of Japanese databases and to validate its diagnostic accuracy compared with the original Swedish training database.

Methods

The BSI was calculated with EXINIbone (EB; EXINI Diagnostics) using the Swedish training database (n = 789). The software using Japanese training databases from a single institution (BONENAVI version 1, BN1, n = 904) and the revised version from nine institutions (version 2, BN2, n = 1,532) were compared. The diagnostic accuracy was validated with another 503 multi-center bone scans including patients with prostate (n = 207), breast (n = 166), and other cancer types. The ANN value (probability of abnormality) and BSI were calculated. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) and net reclassification improvement (NRI) analyses were performed.

Results

The ROC analysis based on the ANN value showed significant improvement from EB to BN1 and BN2. In men (n = 296), the area under the curve (AUC) was 0.877 for EB, 0.912 for BN1 (p = not significant (ns) vs. EB) and 0.934 for BN2 (p = 0.007 vs. EB). In women (n = 207), the AUC was 0.831 for EB, 0.910 for BN1 (p = 0.016 vs. EB), and 0.932 for BN2 (p < 0.0001 vs. EB). The optimum sensitivity and specificity based on BN2 was 90% and 84% for men and 93% and 85% for women. In patients with prostate cancer, the AUC was equally high with EB, BN1, and BN2 (0.939, 0.949, and 0.957, p = ns). In patients with breast cancer, the AUC was improved from EB (0.847) to BN1 (0.910, p = ns) and BN2 (0.924, p = 0.039). The NRI using ANN between EB and BN1 was 17.7% (p = 0.0042), and that between EB and BN2 was 29.6% (p < 0.0001). With respect to BSI, the NRI analysis showed downward reclassification with total NRI of 31.9% ( p < 0.0001).

Conclusion

In the software for calculating BSI, the multi-institutional database significantly improved identification of bone metastasis compared with the original database, indicating the importance of a sufficient number of training databases including various types of cancers.

Rationale for stereotactic body radiation therapy in treating patients with oligometastatic hormone-naïve prostate cancer

Despite advances in treatment for metastatic prostate cancer, patients eventually progress to castrate-resistant disease and ultimately succumb to their cancer. Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) is the standard treatment for metastatic prostate cancer and has been shown to improve median time to progression and median survival time. Research suggests that castrate-resistant clones may be present early in the disease process prior to the initiation of ADT. These clones are not susceptible to ADT and may even flourish when androgen-responsive clones are depleted. Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) is a safe and efficacious method of treating clinically localized prostate cancer and metastases. In patients with a limited number of metastatic sites, SBRT may have a role in eliminating castrate-resistant clones and possibly delaying progression to castrate-resistant disease.

The dilemma of a rising prostate-specific antigen level after local therapy: what are our options?

Prostate cancer is the most common solid tumor diagnosed in men in the United States and Western Europe. Primary treatment with radiation or surgery is largely successful at controlling localized disease. However, a significant number (up to one third of men) may develop biochemical recurrence (BR), defined as a rise in serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level. A general presumption is that BR will lead to overt progression in patients over subsequent years. There are a number of factors that a physician must consider when counseling and recommending treatment to a patient with a rising PSA. These include the following (1) various PSA-based definitions of BR; (2) source of PSA (ie, local or distant disease, residual benign prostate); (3) available modalities to treat the disease with the least morbidity; and (4) timing of therapy. In this article we review the current and future factors that clinicians should consider in the diagnosis and treatment of recurrent prostate cancer.

Progression of bone metastases in patients with prostate cancer - automated detection of new lesions and calculation of bone scan index

BACKGROUND

The objective of this study was firstly to develop and evaluate an automated method for the detection of new lesions and changes in bone scan index (BSI) in serial bone scans and secondly to evaluate the prognostic value of the method in a group of patients receiving chemotherapy.

METHODS

The automated method for detection of new lesions was evaluated in a group of 266 patients using the classifications by three experienced bone scan readers as a gold standard. The prognostic value of the method was assessed in a group of 31 metastatic hormone-refractory prostate cancer patients who were receiving docetaxel. Cox proportional hazards were used to investigate the association between percentage change in BSI, number of new lesions and overall survival. Kaplan-Meier estimates of the survival function were used to indicate a significant difference between patients with an increase/decrease in BSI or those with two or more new lesions or less than two new lesions.

RESULTS

The automated method detected progression defined as two or more new lesions with a sensitivity of 93% and a specificity of 87%. In the treatment group, both BSI changes and the number of new metastases were significantly associated with survival. Two-year survival for patients with increasing and decreasing BSI from baseline to follow-up scans were 18% and 57% (p = 0.03), respectively. Two-year survival for patients fulfilling and not fulfilling the criterion of two or more new lesions was 35% and 38% (n.s.), respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

An automated method can be used to calculate the number of new lesions and changes in BSI in serial bone scans. These imaging biomarkers contained prognostic information in a small group of patients with prostate cancer receiving chemotherapy.

Phase II trial of zoledronic acid combined with androgen-deprivation therapy for treatment-naïve prostate cancer with bone metastasis

BACKGROUND

The efficacy of zoledronic acid in patients with treatment-naïve prostate cancer is unclear. We conducted a phase II study to investigate the benefits of combined zoledronic acid and androgen deprivation therapy in treatment-naïve prostate cancer with bone metastasis. The primary endpoint was skeletal-related event-free survival at 24 months.

METHODS

Subjects were treatment-naïve patients with histologically confirmed adenocarcinoma of the prostate and radiological evidence of bone metastasis. Treatment consisted of bicalutamide 80 mg daily, goserelin acetate 10.8 mg every 12 weeks, and zoledronic acid 4 mg every 4 weeks. Zoledronic acid was continued for 24 months.

RESULTS

Of the patients enrolled between July 2008 and April 2010, 52 were included in the analyses. The median age of the patients was 72 years. The median baseline prostate-specific antigen level was 249.4 ng/mL. The median follow-up period was 33.3 months. The 24-month skeletal-related event-free survival rate was 84.4 % (95 % confidence interval 71.2-91.9). The median time to prostate-specific antigen progression was 25.9 months (95 % confidence interval 14.7-36.3). The median overall survival time was not reached. Improvement in pain or maintenance of no pain during the first 12 weeks was observed in 70 % of patients and the extent of bone disease was decreased in 10 % of patients at 12 months. Grade 3 osteonecrosis of the jaw was observed in three patients (5.8 %).

CONCLUSION

Zoledronic acid concomitant with androgen deprivation therapy as initial treatment in patients with treatment-naïve prostate cancer with bone metastasis resulted in an encouraging skeletal-related event-free survival rate at 24 months.

Bone scintigraphy as a new imaging biomarker: the relationship between bone scan index and bone metabolic markers in prostate cancer patients with bone metastases

OBJECTIVE

A computer-aided diagnosis system for bone scintigraphy with a semiquantitative index from the Bone Scan Index (BSI) has been used to quantify the spread of bone metastases. However, few papers have made clear associations among BSI, bone metabolic markers, and prostate-specific antigen (PSA). This retrospective study aimed to examine these relationships in prostate cancer patients with bone metastases.

METHODS

A total of 158 scans from 52 patients (number of median examinations/person 3, range 1-8; median age 71 years, age range 46-86) were included. The intervals between bone scans and blood examinations were 0-16 days (median 0 day). The serum markers of PSA, pyridinoline cross-linked carboxy-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen (1-CTP), bone alkaline phosphatase (BAP), and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase-5b (TRACP-5b) were examined. Subjects were divided into 4 groups according to BSI; Group A: 0 to <2, Group B: 2 to <4, Group C: 4 to <8, and Group D: over 8. BSI, which corresponded to the amount of metastatic lesion, was automatically calculated by BONENAVI(®) software (FUJIFILM RI Pharma, Co. Ltd., Tokyo, Japan; Exini Bone, Exini Diagnostics, Sweden).

RESULTS

All bone scans showed high uptake with bone metastases. BSI was correlated significantly with the serum 1-CTP, serum BAP, serum TRACP-5b, logBAP, logTRACP-5b, and logPSA (r = 0.39, 0.66, 0.69, 0.71, 0.62 and 0.41, respectively). BSI did not correlate significantly with the serum PSA. The statistical F value was 11 in the serum 1-CTP, 31 in serum BAP, 29 in logBAP, 19 in serum TRACP-5b, 14 in logTRACP-5b, 3 in serum PSA, and 9 in logPSA by analysis of variance. Comparison by Dunnett's test showed significantly higher values in Group D for all original bone metabolic markers and the logPSA, Group C for the serum BAP, logBAP, serum TRACP-5b, and logTRACP-5b, and Group B for the logTRACP-5b compared with Group A.

CONCLUSION

The changes in BSI showed a close relationship with all bone metabolic markers but not with the serum PSA. The BSI is confirmed to reflect the activity and extent of bone metastases, and can be used as an imaging biomarker.

When to perform positron emission tomography/computed tomography or radionuclide bone scan in patients with recently diagnosed prostate cancer

Skeletal metastases are very common in prostate cancer and represent the main metastatic site in about 80% of prostate cancer patients, with a significant impact in patients’ prognosis. Early detection of bone metastases is critical in the management of patients with recently diagnosed high-risk prostate cancer: radical treatment is recommended in case of localized disease; systemic therapy should be preferred in patients with distant secondary disease. Bone scintigraphy using radiolabeled bisphosphonates is of great importance in the management of these patients; however, its main drawback is its low overall accuracy, due to the nonspecific uptake in sites of increased bone turnover. Positron-emitting radiopharmaceuticals, such as fluorine-18-fluorodeoxyglucose, choline-derived drugs (fluorine-18-fluorocholine and carbon-11-choline) and sodium fluorine-18-fluoride, are increasingly used in clinical practice to detect metastatic spread, and particularly bone involvement, in patients with prostate cancer, to reinforce or substitute information provided by bone scan. Each radiopharmaceutical has a specific mechanism of uptake; therefore, diagnostic performances may differ from one radiopharmaceutical to another on the same lesions, as demonstrated in the literature, with variable sensitivity, specificity, and overall accuracy values in the same patients. Whether bone scintigraphy can be substituted by these new methods is a matter of debate. However, greater radiobiological burden, higher costs, and the necessity of an in-site cyclotron limit the use of these positron emission tomography methods as first-line investigations in patients with prostate cancer: bone scintigraphy remains the mainstay for the detection of bone metastases in current clinical practice.

Prostate-specific antigen kinetics under androgen deprivation therapy and prostate cancer prognosis

OBJECTIVES

To compare the difference in characteristics of post-treatment prostate-specific antigen (PSA) kinetics among respective patients and their influence on disease prognosis.

METHODS

A cohort of totally 332 eligible patients with histologically confirmed and hormonally naïve prostate cancer, identified from the patients' database of Huashan Hospital, all received combined androgen deprivation therapy including bilateral orchiectomy or luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone antagonists with the oral administration of flutamide 250 mg t.i.d. All patients had their serum PSA level tested at least every 3 months in the first 2 years and at least once a half year from the third year on. PSA nadir, time to PSA nadir (TTPN), PSA normalization (<4 ng/ml), undetectable PSA level (<0.2 ng/ml), biochemical failure, overall survival and cancer-specific survival were analyzed.

RESULTS

PSA normalization, TTPN, and reaching the undetectable PSA level perhaps were the independent risk factors for predicting the three types of prognosis. Probably the best cut-off of PSA nadir was 0.2 ng/ml (sensitivity 65.7%, specificity 80.6%) and the best cut-off of TTPN was 10 months (sensitivity 71.6%, specificity 63.9%).

CONCLUSIONS

These results implied that a lower level of PSA nadir and longer TTPN can predict a better disease prognosis.

Usefulness of bone turnover markers as predictors of mortality risk, disease progression and skeletal-related events appearance in patients with prostate cancer with bone metastases following treatment with zoledronic acid: TUGAMO study

Background:

Owing to the limited validity of clinical data on the treatment of prostate cancer (PCa) and bone metastases, biochemical markers are a promising tool for predicting survival, disease progression and skeletal-related events (SREs) in these patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the predictive capacity of biochemical markers of bone turnover for mortality risk, disease progression and SREs in patients with PCa and bone metastases undergoing treatment with zoledronic acid (ZA).

Methods:

This was an observational, prospective and multicenter study in which ninety-eight patients were included. Patients were treated with ZA (4 mg every 4 weeks for 18 months). Data were collected at baseline and 3, 6, 9, 12, 15 and 18 months after the beginning of treatment. Serum levels of bone alkaline phosphtase (BALP), aminoterminal propeptide of procollagen type I (P1NP) and beta-isomer of carboxiterminal telopeptide of collagen I (β-CTX) were analysed at all points in the study. Data on disease progression, SREs development and survival were recorded.

Results:

Cox regression models with clinical data and bone markers showed that the levels of the three markers studied were predictive of survival time, with β-CTX being especially powerful, in which a lack of normalisation in visit 1 (3 months after the beginning of treatment) showed a 6.3-times more risk for death than in normalised patients. Levels of these markers were also predictive for SREs, although in this case BALP and P1NP proved to be better predictors. We did not find any relationship between bone markers and disease progression.

Conclusion:

In patients with PCa and bone metastases treated with ZA, β-CTX and P1NP can be considered suitable predictors for mortality risk, while BALP and P1NP are appropriate for SREs. The levels of these biomarkers 3 months after the beginning of treatment are especially important.

Insulin-like growth factor-1 genotypes and haplotypes influence the survival of prostate cancer patients with bone metastasis at initial diagnosis

Background

The insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) plays an important role in growth of prostate cancer (PCa) cells and facilitating the development and progression of PCa. This study aimed to evaluate the association of polymorphisms in three linkage disequilibrium (LD) blocks of the IGF-1 on the survival of metastatic PCa patients.

Methods

A total of 215 patients with bone metastases at initial presentation were included in this study. The cytosine-adenine (CA) repeat polymorphism and rs12423791 were selected as representative polymorphisms in the LD blocks 1 and 2, respectively. Haplotype in the LD block 3 was analyzed using two tag single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), rs6220 and rs7136446. Cancer-specific survival rate was estimated from the Kaplan-Meier curve, and the survival data were compared using the log-rank test.

Results

Cancer-specific survival was significantly associated with the CA repeat polymorphism, rs12423791, and rs6220 (P = 0.013, 0.014, and 0.014, respectively). Although rs7136446 had no significant association with survival, the haplotype in the LD block 3 was significantly associated with cancer-specific survival (P = 0.0003). When the sum of the risk genetic factors in each LD block (19-repeat allele, C allele of rs12423791, or C-T haplotype) was considered, patients with all the risk factors had significantly shorter cancer specific-survival than those with 0–2 risk factors (P = 0.0003).

Conclusions

Polymorphisms in the IGF-1, especially a haplotype in the LD block 3, are assumed to be genetic markers predicting the outcome of metastatic PCa.

Validation and clinical utility of prostate cancer biomarkers

To improve future drug development and patient management for patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC), surrogate biomarkers that are linked to relevant outcomes are urgently needed. A biomarker must be measurable, reproducible, linked to relevant clinical outcomes, and demonstrate clinical utility. This area is rapidly evolving, with recent trials in patients with CRPC incorporating the detection of circulating tumour cells (CTCs), imaging, and patient-reported outcome biomarkers. We discuss the framework for the development of biomarkers for CRPC, including different categories and contexts of use. We also highlight the requirements of analytical validation, the sequence of trials needed for clinical validation and regulatory approval, and the future outlook for imaging and CTC biomarkers.

Bone Scan Index: a prognostic imaging biomarker for high-risk prostate cancer patients receiving primary hormonal therapy

BACKGROUND

The objective of this study was to explore the prognostic value of the Bone Scan Index (BSI) obtained at the time of diagnosis in a group of high-risk prostate cancer patients receiving primary hormonal therapy.

METHODS

This was a retrospective study based on 130 consecutive prostate cancer patients at high risk, based on clinical stage (T2c/T3/T4), Gleason score (8 to 10) and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) (> 20 ng/mL), who had undergone whole-body bone scans < 3 months after diagnosis and who received primary hormonal therapy. BSI was calculated using an automated method. Cox proportional-hazards regression models were used to investigate the association between clinical stage, Gleason score, PSA, BSI and survival. Discrimination between prognostic models was assessed using the concordance index (C-index).

RESULTS

In a multivariate analysis, Gleason score (p = 0.01) and BSI (p < 0.001) were associated with survival, but clinical stage (p = 0.29) and PSA (p = 0.57) were not prognostic. The C-index increased from 0.66 to 0.71 when adding BSI to a model including clinical stage, Gleason score and PSA. The 5-year probability of survival was 55% for patients without metastases, 42% for patients with BSI < 1, 31% for patients with BSI = 1 to 5, and 0% for patients with BSI > 5.

CONCLUSIONS

BSI can be used as a complement to PSA to risk-stratify high-risk prostate cancer patients at the time of diagnosis. This imaging biomarker, reflecting the extent of metastatic disease, can be of value both in clinical trials and in patient management when deciding on treatment.

Influence of nonregional lymph node metastasis as a prognostic factor in metastatic prostate cancer patients

PURPOSE

In advanced prostate cancer, malignant cells generally tend to spread into the bone, and metastasis into nonregional lymph nodes (NRLNs) at the time of initial diagnosis is relatively rare. We investigated the prognostic significance of NRLN metastasis in patients receiving hormonal therapy and chemotherapy.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

From February 2005 to August 2011, we identified 105 patients who had metastatic prostate cancer. First, we assessed the prognostic effect of NRLN metastasis on the prostate-specific antigen response through logistic regression and the progression-free time to castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) by using the Cox proportional hazard regression model. Second, we investigated the prognostic influence of NRLN metastasis on the chemotherapy response through logistic regression and on cancer-specific survival of CRPC patients receiving chemotherapy by using Cox proportional analysis.

RESULTS

Of these 105 patients, 12 patients (11.4%) had only NRLN metastases without bone metastases. Progression-free time to CRPC was significantly less in patients with NRLN metastases by Cox proportional hazard regression multivariate analysis (p=0.020). However, NRLN metastasis was not an independent factor for predicting the response to chemotherapy in CRPC patients, and NRLN metastasis did not reduce cancer-specific survival in the multivariate analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

Twelve (11.4%) of 105 patients with NRLN metastases had lymph node metastases without bone metastases. In addition, NRLN metastasis was a significant prognostic factor for predicting reduced progression-free time to CRPC. Thus, although we speculate that prostate cancer with NRLN metastasis exhibits unique tumor biology, additional molecular and genetic studies are needed.

Cutoff value of time to prostate-specific antigen nadir is inversely correlated with disease progression in advanced prostate cancer

To identify the early predictor of progression to castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) for different stage of advanced PC patients, we focused on time to prostate-specific antigen (PSA) nadir following primary androgen deprivation therapy (PADT). We reviewed 184 advanced (locally advanced and metastatic) PC patients (101 patients with bone metastasis (BM) and 83 patients without BM at presentation) who had received PADT at our institution. We evaluated laboratory data, pathological results, and the influence of PSA kinetics impact on disease progression. The progression rates were analyzed with reference to the nadir PSA level and time to PSA nadir (TTN) following PADT by Kaplan-Meier method. In all, 103 patients (56%) progressed to CRPC. Nadir PSA lower than 0.2 ng/ml (nadir ≤0.2) during PADT was observed in 114 patients (62%). Median TTN was 8.5 months in patients with BM and 11.5 months in patients without BM. Multivariate analysis revealed that nadir ≤0.2 following PADT (P<0.001), longer TTN (>8 months) (P<0.001), extent of disease on bone scan grade (P=0.02), and T stage (P=0.04) in BM group and nadir ≤0.2 following PADT (P<0.001), longer TTN (>11 months) (P<0.001), and T stage (P=0.03) in without BM group were independent prognostic factors for progression. In both groups, longer TTN identified patients with prolonged progression-free survival in both nadir ≤0.2 and >0.2 nadir levels. Longer TTN is strongly associated with a low risk of disease progression, and the cutoff value of TTN could be inversely correlated with disease progression.

Radiotherapy for oligometastases and oligo-recurrence of bone in prostate cancer

Purpose. To retrospectively evaluate the clinical significance of radiotherapy for oligometastases of bone in prostate cancer (PCa). Methods and Materials. Between 2003 and 2008, 35 PCa patients with oligometastases of bone were treated with radiotherapy. Results. The median radiotherapy dose was 40 Gy. The 3-year overall survival rates for all patients, for patients that received a radiotherapy dose of ≥40 Gy (n = 21) and for those that received <40 Gy (n = 14), were 77.2%, 90.5%, and 50.0%, respectively. Fourteen out of 16 patients (87.5%) who had pain were improved 1 month after radiotherapy. The median duration of pain relief was 12 months. Pathological fracture and spinal cord compression (SCC) were not seen at the treated sites but developed at nonirradiated sites in three patients (8.6%) and in one patient (2.8%), respectively. Although the high-dose group (≥40 Gy) achieved better survival than the low-dose group (<40 Gy), it was not independent prognostic factor in multivariable analysis. Conclusions. Radiotherapy of bone oligometastases in PCa was effective for long-term pain relief. Pathological fracture and SCC were not seen at the treated sites. A larger clinical trial is warranted to study the actual benefit following radiotherapy for oligometastases of bone in PCa.

Prediction of survival benefit using an automated bone scan index in patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer

What's known on the subject? and What does the study add? A bone scan index (BSI) can quantify the extent of bone involvement and response to treatment, but it has not been widely accepted, because of its time-consuming nature. The study is the first to demonstrate that automated BSI calculated with a computer-assisted diagnosis system is effective in judging the chemotherapeutic response of bone metastatic lesions in patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer.

OBJECTIVE

• To evaluate the value of an automated bone scan index (aBSI), calculated using a computer-assisted diagnosis system, to indicate chemotherapy response and to predict prognosis in patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) with bone metastasis.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

• Forty-two consecutive CRPC patients underwent taxane-based chemotherapy between November 2004 and March 2011 at our institution. • The aBSIs were retrospectively calculated at the diagnosis of CRPC and 16 weeks after starting chemotherapy. • Cox proportional hazards regression models were applied to multivariate analyses with and without aBSI response in addition to the basic model. • Based on the difference in the concordance index (c-index) between each model, the prognostic relevance of adding the aBSI response was determined.

RESULTS

• A decrease in aBSI was found in 28 patients (66.7%), whereas a response was shown by bone scan in only 23.8% of patients. • Patients with a reduction in aBSI had longer overall survival (OS) in comparison with the other patients (P= 0.0157). • Multivariate analysis without aBSI response showed that performance status (P= 0.0182) and PSA response (P= 0.0375) were significant prognosticators. • By adding the aBSI response to this basic model, the prognostic relevance of the model was improved with an increase in the c-index from 0.621 to 0.660.

CONCLUSIONS

• The aBSI reflected the chemotherapy response in bone metastasis. • The index detected small changes of bone metastasis response as quantified values and was a strong prognostic indicator for patients with CRPC.

Assessment of bone scans in advanced prostate carcinoma using fully automated and semi-automated bone scan index methods

OBJECTIVE

As metastasis of prostate carcinoma occurs in approximately 80 % of terminal prostate carcinoma patients, the prognostic value of the prediction of prostate carcinoma by bone scintigraphy is important. We compared the automated and semi-automated bone scan index (BSI) system with extent of disease (EOD) grade if there is a possibility to substitute for EOD grading.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We evaluated the bone scintigraphic images of 158 prostate carcinoma patients (mean age, 69.2 years old; range 50-97). Bone scans were obtained approximately 3 h after the intravenous injection of 740 MBq technetium-99 m-methylene diphosphonate. EOD grade was evaluated by 2 experienced radiologists using bone scintigraphy, magnetic resonance imaging, and computed tomography. We calculated the BSI using the Bonenavi(®) system (Fujifilm RI Pharma Co., Ltd.), utilizing data from a Japanese database. The semi-automated BSI of the patients was obtained by modifying the automated BSI independently by 3 radiologists (referred to as "observers" in this study) with 25, 10, and 4 years of experience. We then compared the EOD with the corresponding 4 independent BSIs for each patient. We used the Steel-Dwass test for multiple comparisons of the BSI among different EOD groups of patients. We analyzed the receiver-operating characteristics (ROC) curve to determine the cutoff values of sensitivity and specificity, which were both set at 95 %.

RESULTS

There were significant correlations observed among the mean EOD and BSI scores as determined using the Bonenavi(®) system for every patient group for all observers and the automated method. There was also a statistically significant difference in the mean BSI among all EOD groups (grades 0, 1, or 2-4) for all observers and the automated method. Each ROC curve showed an ideal shape and was within the optimal cutoff range.

CONCLUSION

On the basis of the present results, BSI as calculated using the Bonenavi(®) system significantly correlated with EOD. Sensitivity and specificity as measured by the fully automated method were lower than those of semi-automated BSI with modification by radiologists. Therefore, semi-automated BSI is considered to have the possibility to substitute for EOD grading to predict the survival of prostate carcinoma patients with bone metastases, with only slight interobserver variation.

The Role of Bone-Seeking Radionuclides in the Palliative Treatment of Patients with Painful Osteoblastic Skeletal Metastases

Background

Pain from skeletal metastases represents a major burden of advanced disease from solid tumors. Analgesic medications, bisphosphonates, hormonal agents, cytotoxic chemotherapy, and external beam radiotherapy are all effective treatments. However, patients often suffer from diffuse painful metastases and respond poorly to these standard therapies. Bone-seeking radionuclides can specifically target osteoblastic lesions to offer palliation of pain.

Methods

This article offers a narrative review of bone-seeking radionuclides, examines the evidence of safety and efficacy for the treatment of painful skeletal metastases, and presents guidelines for their appropriate use in this patient population.

Results

Seven bone-seeking radionuclides have shown evidence of both safety and efficacy in reducing pain from diffuse skeletal metastases. 153Sm-EDTMP and 89Sr are most commonly used in the United States and have been safely utilized for both repeat dosing as well as concurrent dosing with cytotoxic chemotherapy.

Conclusions

Targeted bone-seeking radionuclides are underutilized in the treatment of painful diffuse osteoblastic metastases. Several new agents are in active clinical investigation, and the pending approval of the first alpha-emitting radionuclide (223Ra) may offer a new class of agents that provide greater efficacy and less toxicity than those currently available for routine clinical use.

Value of C-telopeptide-cross-linked Type I collagen, osteocalcin, bone-specific alkaline phosphatase and procollagen Type I N-terminal propeptide in the diagnosis and prognosis of bone metastasis in patients with malignant tumors

Background

Studies show markers of bone turnover can help the clinician in the diagnosis and follow-up of bone metastases. The present study aimed to investigate the value of biochemical markers of bone turnover in the diagnosis and prognosis of bone metastases of malignant tumors.

Material/Methods

The serum levels of C-Telopeptide-Cross-Linked Type I Collagen (CTx), Procollagen Type I N-Terminal Propeptide (PINP), Bone-Specific Alkaline Phosphatase (B-ALP) and Osteocalcin (OST) in patients with bone metastases and control subjects were measured using radioimmunoassay and immunochemiluminescent assay.

Results

The levels of CTx, PINP, B-ALP and OST in the metastasis group were significantly higher than those in both control groups and correlated with the number of bone metastatic sites. The levels of these markers were higher in prostate cancer patients with bone metastasis. The CTX of >426 ng/ml had the highest sensitivity and NPV, and PINP of >51.21 ng/ml had the highest specificity and PPV in healthy subjects. In addition, CTX of >547 ng/ml had the highest sensitivity and OST of >20.34 ng/ml the highest specificity in the non-metastasis group. Furthermore, both B-ALP of >15.55 ng/ml had relatively high negative predictive value and positive predictive value.

Conclusions

Biochemical markers of bone turnover, including CTx, PINP, B-ALP and OST, play important roles in the diagnosis and prognosis of metastatic bone cancer. CTX had a high sensitivity, and PINP had a high specificity in predicting bone metastasis. B-ALP is an ideal biochemical marker of bone turnover for metastatic bone cancer.

A novel automated platform for quantifying the extent of skeletal tumour involvement in prostate cancer patients using the Bone Scan Index

BACKGROUND

There is little consensus on a standard approach to analysing bone scan images. The Bone Scan Index (BSI) is predictive of survival in patients with progressive prostate cancer (PCa), but the popularity of this metric is hampered by the tedium of the manual calculation.

OBJECTIVE

Develop a fully automated method of quantifying the BSI and determining the clinical value of automated BSI measurements beyond conventional clinical and pathologic features.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

We conditioned a computer-assisted diagnosis system identifying metastatic lesions on a bone scan to automatically compute BSI measurements. A training group of 795 bone scans was used in the conditioning process. Independent validation of the method used bone scans obtained ≤3 mo from diagnosis of 384 PCa cases in two large population-based cohorts. An experienced analyser (blinded to case identity, prior BSI, and outcome) scored the BSI measurements twice. We measured prediction of outcome using pretreatment Gleason score, clinical stage, and prostate-specific antigen with models that also incorporated either manual or automated BSI measurements.

MEASUREMENTS

The agreement between methods was evaluated using Pearson's correlation coefficient. Discrimination between prognostic models was assessed using the concordance index (C-index).

RESULTS AND LIMITATIONS

Manual and automated BSI measurements were strongly correlated (ρ=0.80), correlated more closely (ρ=0.93) when excluding cases with BSI scores≥10 (1.8%), and were independently associated with PCa death (p<0.0001 for each) when added to the prediction model. Predictive accuracy of the base model (C-index: 0.768; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.702-0.837) increased to 0.794 (95% CI, 0.727-0.860) by adding manual BSI scoring, and increased to 0.825 (95% CI, 0.754-0.881) by adding automated BSI scoring to the base model.

CONCLUSIONS

Automated BSI scoring, with its 100% reproducibility, reduces turnaround time, eliminates operator-dependent subjectivity, and provides important clinical information comparable to that of manual BSI scoring.

Bone scan index: a quantitative treatment response biomarker for castration-resistant metastatic prostate cancer

PURPOSE

There is currently no imaging biomarker for metastatic prostate cancer. The bone scan index (BSI) is a promising candidate, being a reproducible, quantitative expression of tumor burden seen on bone scintigraphy. Prior studies have shown the prognostic value of a baseline BSI. This study tested whether treatment-related changes in BSI are prognostic for survival and compared BSI to prostate-specific antigen (PSA) as an outcome measure.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We retrospectively examined serial bone scans from patients with castration-resistant metastatic prostate cancer (CRMPC) enrolled in four clinical trials. We calculated BSI at baseline and at 3 and 6 months on treatment and performed univariate and bivariate analyses of PSA, BSI, and survival.

RESULTS

Eighty-eight patients were scanned, 81 of whom have died. In the univariate analysis, the log percent change in BSI from baseline to 3 and 6 months on treatment prognosticated for survival (hazard ratio [HR], 2.44; P = .0089 and HR, 2.54; P < .001, respectively). A doubling in BSI resulted in a 1.9-fold increase in risk of death. Log percent change in PSA at 6 months on treatment was also associated with survival (HR, 1.298; P = .013). In the bivariate analysis, change in BSI while adjusting for PSA was prognostic at 3 and 6 months on treatment (HR, 2.368; P = .012 and HR, 2.226; P = .002, respectively), but while adjusting for BSI, PSA was not prognostic.

CONCLUSION

These data furnish early evidence that on-treatment changes in BSI are a response indicator and support further exploration of bone scintigraphy as an imaging biomarker in CRMPC.

Modern Detection of Prostate Cancer's Bone Metastasis: Is the Bone Scan Era Over?

Prostate cancer cells have an exquisite tropism for bone, which clinically translates into the highest rate of bone metastases amongst male cancers. Although in the latest years there has been an active development of new "bone targeted" therapies, modern diagnostic techniques for bone metastases still relies mostly on (99m)Tc bone scanning (BS) and plain X-ray. BS dramatically lacks specificity and sensitivity. Recent publications using modern imaging technologies have clearly pinpointed that BS grossly underestimates the true prevalence of bone metastasis. In addition BS does not allow tumour measurement and is, therefore, not appropriate to monitor response to therapy. This might be extremely important in patients harbouring high-risk localized disease that are eventually candidate for local therapy. Here we reviewed what are the emerging imaging strategies that are likely to supplant BS and to what extent they can be used in the clinic already.

[Bone mineral density change: comparison between prostate cancer patients with or without metastases and healthy men (a North African ethnic group)]

AIM

To evaluate total body bone mineral density and regional bone mineral density in patients with prostate cancer with and without metastases, and to correlate them with bone scintigraphy findings.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

135 patients with prostatic carcinoma and 50 healthy subjects were investigated with bone scintigraphy and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. The bone scintigraphic findings were classified as normal (score 0: n=55), abnormal but not typical for metastases (score 1: n=45), and typical pattern of metastases (score 2: n=35).

RESULTS

: The patients with bone metastases prostate cancer had significantly higher total bone mineral density and regional bone mineral density of trunk and pelvis than healthy controls and prostate cancer patients without bone metastases. There was a significant positive correlation between bone scan score and total bone mineral density and regional bone mineral density of trunk and pelvis (r=0.328; P<0.05; r=0.60; P<0.001; r=0.480; P<0.001, respectively).

CONCLUSION

Bone metastasis is a major cause of morbidity in prostatic cancer, bone loss during hormonal treatment is currently effective. Our results show that patients of prostate cancer with bone metastases have increased bone mineral density (BMD) in the pelvis and trunk, possibly because of a predominance of osteoblastic over osteolytic metastases demonstrated by (99m)Tc MDP bone scan.

Prognostic and predictive value of intact and cleaved forms of the urokinase plasminogen activator receptor in metastatic prostate cancer

BACKGROUND

The purpose of this study was to investigate the prognostic value of different forms of the urokinase receptor, uPAR, in serum from prostate cancer (PC) patients.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The uPAR forms were measured in samples from 131 metastatic PC patients. These constituted a subset of patients included in a randomized clinical trial of treatment with total androgen blockade (TAB) versus polyestradiol phosphate (PEP). Pre-treatment serum levels of intact uPAR (uPAR(I-III)), intact plus cleaved uPAR (uPAR(I-III) + uPAR(II-III)) and domain I (uPAR(I)) were measured using time-resolved fluorescence immunoassays (TR-FIAs).

RESULTS

High serum levels of each of the uPAR forms were significantly associated with short overall survival (OS). The prognostic impact was strongest in the TAB treated patients with all uPAR forms being statistically significant. In multivariate analysis, uPAR(I-III) + uPAR(II-III) was an independent prognostic factor in TAB treated patients (HR = 5.2, 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.5-10.6, P < 0.0001) but not in PEP treated patients (P = 0.40). In the entire study population, OS was similar in the two treatment groups. The survival analysis showed significant interactions between treatment modality and the level of either uPAR(I-III) or uPAR(I-III) + uPAR(II-III). High levels of uPAR(I-III) + uPAR(II-III) were found to be predictive of effect of PEP versus TAB treatment. Patients with uPAR(I-III) + uPAR(II-III) levels above the median had significantly longer OS (median difference 11.3 months), if treated with PEP rather than with TAB (HR = 1.8, 95% CI:1.1-3.1, P = 0.03).

CONCLUSION

uPAR forms are significantly associated with OS. High uPAR(I-III) + uPAR(II-III) predicts longer OS in patients treated with PEP compared to TAB. uPAR forms are promising prognostic and predictive markers in PC.

Increases in bone turnover marker levels at an early phase after starting zoledronic acid predicts skeletal-related events in patients with prostate cancer with bone metastasis

OBJECTIVE

To examine whether bone turnover markers could be predictive markers of the probability of newly arising skeletal-related events (SRE) after the start of zoledronic acid treatment in patients with prostate cancer with bone metastasis.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

In all, 30 patients with prostate cancer with bone metastasis were treated with zoledronic acid infusion every 4 weeks. Serum C-terminal crosslinking telopeptide of type 1 collagen (1CTP), bone alkaline phosphatase (BAP), and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels were measured at the start of zoledronic acid treatment to establish baseline values, and every 4 weeks thereafter. To judge in the early phase whether zoledronic acid is effective in these patients, we retrospectively compared 1CTP, BAP, and PSA levels at 1, 3, and 6 months after starting zoledronic acid treatment with those at baseline.

RESULTS

SRE-free survival of patients with increases of 1CTP levels at 1 and 3 months and BAP levels at 3 months were significantly poorer than those of patients with decreases in 1CTP or BAP levels (P = 0.001, P = 0.042, and P = 0.004, respectively). Overall survival of patients with increases of 1CTP levels at 1 and 3 months and of BAP levels at 6 months were significantly poorer than those of patients with decreases of 1CTP or BAP levels (P = 0.013, P = 0.027, and P = 0.035, respectively).

CONCLUSION

The measurement of 1CTP and BAP levels at an early phase after starting zoledronic acid treatment may be useful for physicians to inform patients of their prognosis and to determine the subsequent treatment plan.

Serum N-Terminal Propeptide of Collagen Type I is Associated with the Number of Bone Metastases in Breast and Prostate Cancer and Correlates to Other Bone Related Markers

Background

A number of biomarkers have been proven potentially useful for their ability to indicate bone metastases (BM) in cancer patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the relative utility of a newly developed N-terminal propeptide of collagen type I (PINP) human serum assay for the detection of BM in cancer patients. This assay has a corresponding rat PINP assay which in the future might help in translational science between rodent and human trials.

Methods

Participants were 161 prostate, lung and breast cancer patients stratified by number of BM (Soloway score). PINP was assessed and correlated to number of BM. Additionally, the PINP marker was correlated to bone resorption of young (ALPHA CTX-I)- and aged bone (BETA CTX-I); number of osteoclasts (Tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase 5b, TRACP5B) and osteoclast activity (CTX-I/ TRACP5B).

Results

PINP was significantly elevated in breast- and prostate cancer patients +BM, compared to −BM (P < 0.001), however not in lung cancer patients. A strong linear association was seen between PINP and the number of BMs. Significant elevation of PINP was observed at Soloway scores 1–4 (<0 BM) compared with score 0 (0 BM) (P < 0.001). The correlation between bone resorption of young bone or aged bone and bone formation was highly significant in patients +BM and −BM (P < 0.0001).

Conclusions

Data suggest that the present PINP potentially could determine skeletal involvement in patients with breast or prostate cancer. Correlations suggested that coupling between bone resorption and bone formation was maintained in breast- and prostate cancer patients.

Prognostic value of baseline [18F] fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography and 99mTc-MDP bone scan in progressing metastatic prostate cancer

PURPOSE

To compare the diagnostic and prognostic value of [(18)F] fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) and bone scans (BS) in the assessment of osseous lesions in patients with progressing prostate cancer.

EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN

In a prospective imaging trial, 43 patients underwent FDG-PET and BS prior to experimental therapies. Bone scan index (BSI) and standardized uptake value (SUV) on FDG-PET were recorded. Patients were followed until death (n = 36) or at least 5 years (n = 7). Imaging findings were correlated with survival.

RESULTS

Osseous lesions were detected in 39 patients on BS and 32 on FDG-PET (P = 0.01). Follow-up was available for 105 FDG-positive lesions, and 84 (80%) became positive on subsequent BS. Prognosis correlated inversely with SUV (median survival 14.4 versus 32.8 months if SUVmax > 6.10 versus ≤ 6.10; P = 0.002) and BSI (14.7 versus 28.2 months if BSI > 1.27 versus < 1.27; P = 0.004). Only SUV was an independent factor in multivariate analysis.

CONCLUSION

This study of progressive prostate cancer confirms earlier work that BSI is a strong prognostic factor. Most FDG-only lesions at baseline become detectable on follow-up BS, suggesting their strong clinical relevance. FDG SUV is an independent prognostic factor and provides complementary prognostic information.

[11C]choline positron emission tomography/computerized tomography to restage prostate cancer cases with biochemical failure after radical prostatectomy and no disease evidence on conventional imaging

PURPOSE

We assessed the value of [11C]choline positron emission tomography/computerized tomography in patients with prostate cancer in whom biochemical failure developed after radical prostatectomy but who showed no disease evidence on conventional imaging.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Considered for this study were 2,124 patients treated with radical prostatectomy who underwent [11C]choline positron emission tomography/computerized tomography to restage disease between December 2004 and January 2007. Study inclusion criteria were 1) previous radical prostatectomy and pelvic lymph node dissection, 2) increasing prostate specific antigen beyond 0.2 ng/ml after radical prostatectomy, 3) no lymph node disease at radical prostatectomy, 4) no evidence of metastatic disease on conventional imaging, 5) no androgen deprivation therapy and 6) no adjuvant or salvage radiotherapy. These criteria were satisfied in 109 of the 2,124 patients (5%).

RESULTS

Median prostate specific antigen at imaging was 0.81 ng/ml (range 0.22 to 16.76 ml). Imaging suggested local recurrence in 4 patients (4%) and pelvic lymph node disease in 8 (7%). Scans were positive in 5%, 15% and 28% of patients with prostate specific antigen less than 1, between 1 and 2, and greater than 2 ng/ml, respectively (p <0.05). Prostate specific antigen was the only significant predictor of tomography results (p <0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Positron emission tomography/computerized tomography detected increased [11C]choline uptake, suggesting recurrent disease in 11% of patients with prostate cancer, increasing prostate specific antigen after radical prostatectomy and no evidence of disease on conventional imaging. This modality may be useful to restage disease but it cannot be used to guide therapy.

Investigation of risk factors for prostate cancer patients with bone metastasis based on clinical data

It has not yet been determined whether certain types of prostate cancer with bone metastasis (M1b PC) are associated with a poor outcome. The present study retrospectively assessed the potential significance of various clinical data in predicting the outcome of M1b PC. The subjects were 104 patients who attended our hospital and received a diagnosis of M1b PC between January 1998 and December 2006. The age of the subjects ranged from 51 to 91 years (median 74). The observation period ranged from 4 to 122 months (median 43). The parameters investigated were T classification, N classification, Gleason score (GS), pre-treatment prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level, extent of disease (EOD) grade, alkaline phosphatase (ALP), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), calcium and hemoglobin (Hb) levels and platelet count. The 5-year cause-specific survival rate was 56.6% and the 10-year cause-specific survival rate was 34.9%. Log-rank test and Cox univariate analysis identified the following factors with statistically significant differences: pre-treatment PSA level ≥192, N1, GS ≥8, EOD grade 3+4, high LDH, high ALP and low Hb. Multivariate Cox proportional hazard analysis identified the factors GS ≥8 and high LDH with significant differences. The hazard ratio was 4.967 and 2.728, respectively, and the probability value (P) was 0.029 and 0.004, respectively. When the subjects with GS ≥8 and high LDH were classified as the high-risk group, the 5-year cause-specific survival rate was 24.6%. The outcome was significantly poorer in this group (P<0.0001) than in the other group, which had a 5-year cause-specific survival rate of 67.7%. The present study showed that patients with M1b PC with GS ≥8 and high LDH have a very poor outcome and thus should be treated as a high-risk group requiring close follow-up.

Cranial nerve deficit caused by skull metastasis of prostate cancer: three Japanese castration-resistant prostate cancer cases

We report 3 Japanese patients with cranial nerve deficit caused by skull metastasis of prostate cancer (PCa). Case 1 was a 75-year-old patient with a chief complaint of diplopia. The cause of diplopia was right oculomotor nerve palsy from the skull metastasis. External beam radiation therapy (EBRT) to the whole brain, 40 Gy in 20 fractions, was performed and the diplopia improved. Case 2 was a 72-year-old patient with a chief complaint of facioplegia. Bone scintigraphy and computed tomography (CT) of the head revealed right occipital bone metastasis of PCa resulting in right facial nerve palsy. EBRT to the right occipital bone, 50 Gy in 25 fractions, with daily oral dexamethasone (DEX) was performed and facioplegia showed complete recovery. At 12 months after onset, the patient was followed-up with no symptoms. Case 3 was a 74-year-old patient with a chief complaint of diplopia. Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography (PET) showed right petrous bone metastasis resulting in right abducent nerve palsy. EBRT to the right petrous bone, 44 Gy in 22 fractions, with oral DEX was performed and diplopia showed complete recovery. At 13 months after onset, the patient was followed-up with no symptoms. MRI and PET may detect PCa metastasis in the skull base more clearly than other imaging modalities. EBRT with 40-50 Gy in 20-25 fractions in association with corticosteroid administration may be reasonable treatment of patients with metastatic PCa who develop cranial nerve dysfunction.

Association of circulating tumor cells with tumor-related methylated DNA in patients with hormone-refractory prostate cancer

OBJECTIVES

To assess whether circulating tumor cells with tumor-related methylated DNA can be used to predict survival in patients with hormone-refractory prostate cancer.

METHODS

Blood samples from 76 patients with hormone-refractory prostate cancer were analyzed. Circulating tumor cells were enumerated with the CellSearch System in whole blood. This system was developed using an epithelial cell adhesion molecule antibody-based immunomagnetic capture and automated staining methodology. Hypermethylation at adenomatosis polyposis coli, glutathione-S-transferase-pi, prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2, multidrug resistance 1 and Ras association domain family 1 isoform A was analyzed using a sensitive SYBR green methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction. Patient charts were retrospectively examined.

RESULTS

Median overall survival time was 19.3 months (range 11-48). Of the 76 patients, 47 (62%) had five or more circulating tumor cells, with a median overall survival of 12.0 months compared with 26.0 months for patients with fewer than five circulating tumor cells (P < 0.001). Circulating tumor cells were detected in 36 of 39 (92%) patients with tumor-related methylated DNA but only 11 of 37 (30%) patients without methylated DNA (P < 0.001). Thirty-nine (51%) patients had one or more methylated marker. Their median overall survival time was 12.0 months compared with 48.0 months or more for patients without methylated DNA (P < 0.001). Prostate-specific antigen-doubling time, circulating tumor cells and methylated DNA were independent predictors of overall survival time.

CONCLUSIONS

Hormone refractory prostate cancer patients with circulating tumor cells and/or tumor-related methylated DNA show a significantly poorer outcome than those without these blood markers.

Implications of serum bone turnover markers in prostate cancer patients with bone metastasis

OBJECTIVES

To assess the diagnostic accuracy of serum bone turnover markers for detection of bone metastasis in patients with prostate cancer (PCa) and to assess the usefulness of these markers as predictors of mortality from PCa.

METHODS

Serum total alkaline phosphatase, bone-specific alkaline phosphatase, carboxy-terminal pyridinoline cross-linked telopeptide parts of type-I collagen (1CTP), tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase type 5 b, and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels were measured in 222 patients (58 with bone metastasis, 57 with T2M0 PCa, 55 with T3M0 PCa, and 52 without PCa). Multivariate stepwise logistic regression analysis was used to identify independent predictors of bone metastasis. Correlation of serum marker levels with bone metastasis was assessed using receiver operating characteristics analysis. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards analysis was used to predict cause-specific survival in PCa patients with bone metastasis.

RESULTS

Serum total alkaline phosphatase, bone-specific alkaline phosphatase, 1CTP, tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase type 5 b, and PSA levels were significantly elevated in patients with bone metastasis, and correlated significantly with the extent of disease on bone scintigraphy. Multivariate stepwise logistic regression analysis demonstrated that serum PSA and 1CTP were significant predictors of bone metastasis. Receiver operating characteristics analyses showed that serum 1CTP level was the most reliable predictor of bone metastasis (area under the curve = 0.85). Multivariate Cox proportional hazards analysis revealed that only serum 1CTP was an independent prognostic factor for PCa-related death.

CONCLUSIONS

Serum 1CTP level was a more reliable marker than the others to detect bone metastatic spread and to predict survival probability in PCa patients with bone metastasis.

Oral low-dose dexamethasone for androgen-independent prostate cancer patients

We retrospectively evaluated the outcome of oral low-dose dexamethasone (DXM) therapy for androgen-independent prostate cancer (AIPC). Between January 1999 and April 2006, 99 consecutive patients with AIPC were enrolled in this study. The median patient age was 70 years (range 46-86), and the median pretreatment prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level was 243 ng/ml (range 8.2-29600). Median follow-up was 41.9 months (range 11.4-170.4). Upon biochemical failure, patients were treated with oral low-dose DXM. A total of 40 of the 99 cases (40.4%) showed a ≥50% decrease in serum PSA levels (PSA responders). Twenty-five cases (25.2%) showed a <50% decrease in PSA, and the remaining 34 cases (34.3%) had increased PSA levels (PSA non-responders). The median PSA progression-free survival was 3.0 (range 0-27) and 8.0 months (range 2-27) for the entire cohort and PSA responders, respectively. The PSA responders had a significantly increased survival (median 30.1 months) compared to the non-responders (median 8.8 months, P<0.001). Of the 34 patients who were under pain control for bone metastases before the administration of DXM, 23 (67.6%) were able to discontinue the regular use of analgesics. The PSA responders also showed an increase in hemoglobin levels. The change in serum interleukin-6 levels was significantly associated with a response to DXM (P=0.0065). Severe adverse events of DXM were rare. Clinicopathological factors predicting the PSA response to DXM were age, time from initial androgen deprivation therapy to DXM and PSA velocity prior to DXM. In conclusion, oral low-dose DXM led to an acceptable PSA response in patients with AIPC. Thus, this therapy may be an effective and safe alternative for the treatment of AIPC, particularly for patients who are not favourable candidates for chemotherapy.

Change in markers of bone metabolism with chemotherapy for advanced prostate cancer: interleukin-6 response is a potential early indicator of response to therapy

Men with androgen-independent prostate cancer (AIPC) frequently have bone metastasis. The effects of chemotherapy on markers of bone metabolism have not been well characterized. We conducted a prospective study of patients with AIPC randomized in the first cycle to receive either docetaxel/estramustine or zoledronic acid, a bisphosphonate, to inhibit osteoclastic activity. Here we report the effects of therapy on markers of bone metabolism in these patients following the first cycle of therapy. Serum levels of several indices of bone remodeling were evaluated using commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Changes in markers of bone metabolism were compared in patients receiving initial chemotherapy versus bisphosphonate. There was no significant difference in median change in any of the measured bone markers in patients given zoledronic acid when compared to chemotherapy. When comparing responders to nonresponders, overall interleukin-6 (IL-6) decreased by 35% in prostate-specific antigen responders; whereas, IL-6 levels increased by 76% in nonresponders (p = 0.03). Elevated IL-6 levels and reductions in IL-6 levels early in treatment may reflect ultimate clinical response to docetaxel-based regimens.