[Innovations in hormonal treatment for locally advanced and/or metastatic prostate cancer]

[CYP17A1 inhibitors in prostate cancer: mechanisms of action independent of the androgenic pathway]

INTRODUCTION

The objective of this article is to review the mechanisms of action of abiraterone acetate, independently of the androgenic pathway.

MATERIAL AND METHOD

A systematic review of the literature was carried out on Medline and Embase databases.

RESULTS

Inhibition of CYP17A1 with abiraterone acetate induces changes in steroid metabolism, whose main component is the reduction of DHEA and androstenedione synthesis. This results in inhibition of androgen pathway in prostatic cancerous epithelial cell. Regardless of androgen activation pathway, abiraterone acetate could also act via an alternative mechanism of action not fully elucidated. Stromal cells, like tumor cells, could undergo the effects of CYP17A1 inhibition, resulting in blocking the production of secondary mediators that contribute to tumor progression. Similarly, it has been suggested that abiraterone acetate efficacy may be related to its ability to alter intratumoral concentrations of estrogen and progesterone.

CONCLUSION

The validation of these mechanisms could contribute to improved therapeutic strategies based on the use of abiraterone acetate alone or in combination.

[Urological cancers: ECCO/ESMO congress 2011]

In the Congress of European Cancer Organisation (ECCO)/European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO), which took place in Stockholm between 23 and 27 September 2011, urological cancers were the subject of various oral presentations and posters. A selection of the more innovative researches, likely to change the patients' management was performed. In prostate cancer, abiraterone acetate should be indicated in patients previously treated with docetaxel and sipuleucel-T in patients with asymptomatic or minimally symptomatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer. Alpharadine should be indicated in patients with symptomatic bone metastases and denosumab in non-metastatic prostate cancer patients with a high risk of developing bone metastases. In metastatic renal clear cell carcinoma, the genetic polymorphisms are predictive for efficacy of anti-angiogenic agents. Targeting both vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and fibroblast growth factor (FGF) pathways is a very promising strategy. In urothelial cancer, two molecules are promising, the belinostat and the bortezomib. Other news on penile cancer and testicular seminoma are discussed.

[Place of bilateral pulpectomy as a method of androgen suppression therapy in prostate cancer]

PURPOSE

To report the oncologic results and morbidity of bilateral pulpectomy and to identify factors that make this method of androgen suppression therapy the most used in our country.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We conducted a prospective study in the urology department of Aristide Le-Dantec hospital (Dakar) between January 2008 and June 2010 (30 months). It included 84 cases of prostate cancer treated by bilateral pulpectomy under local anesthesia.

RESULTS

The mean age of patients was 72.17±12.48 years (53-91). The median PSA level was 101 ng/mL (12.18-9990). Metastasis have been detected in 75% of cases. The Gleason score was higher than 7 in 40 patients (47.6%). Three months after pulpectomy, an improvement of performance status was seen in 76 patients (90.4%). The back pain significantly decreased in intensity or disappeared in 65.3% (32/49) of cases. A complete recovery of lower limbs motor deficit was observed in 50% of cases (7/14). The PSA levels decreased in 57 of the 76 patients alive and the mean PSA level was then 72±11.7 ng/mL (3.8-2433). At six months, of the 53 patients in urinary retention, 18 had recovered spontaneous and complete urination. The PSA level was below 4 ng/mL in 33.8% (22/65) of cases and between 4 and 10 ng/mL in 52.3% (34/65) of cases. At 12 months, the median PSA nadir was 0.76 ng/mL (0,002-8,17) and 57.4% of the 54 patients alive had a PSA nadir less than 2 ng/mL. The mean follow-up was 11.08±10.34 months (1-30). A rising PSA occurred in 17 patients (20.2%) after an mean progression-free survival of 10.5 months (6-25). The overall survival at 6, 12 and 24 months were respectively 77.3, 64.3 and 52.3%. The overall cost of pulpectomy was 50 000 FCFA (76€). The specific morbidity of pulpectomy was two cases (2.4%) of infection of the operative site.

CONCLUSION

The bilateral pulpectomy was a method of androgen suppression immediately effective, efficacious with a low morbidity. Its very low cost is the main reason why it is still the most used method in our country.