Impact of Androgen Deprivation Therapy on Volume Reduction and Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms in Patients with Prostate Cancer

Extent and pattern of symptom relief following surgical castration in patients with advanced prostate cancer treated at a tertiary referral hospital in Tanzania: a prospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

Advanced prostate cancer leads to many symptoms, notably bone pain and lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTs); however, the degree and duration of pain relief, changes in LUTs severity and underlying factors associated with the extent of symptom relief remain inadequately understood. Surgical castration has proven effective in relieving both bone pain and urinary symptoms for metastatic prostate cancer patients.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the extent and pattern of symptom relief in advanced prostate cancer patients following surgical castration at Muhimbili National Hospital (MNH).

METHODS

We conducted a prospective cohort study for a period of 6 months involving men with advanced Prostate cancer (PCa) undergoing surgical castration at MNH and followed them for 30 days. The international prostate symptoms score tool was used to assess changes in LUTs, and the pain rating scale was used for assessing changes in bone pain symptoms before and after surgery. Logistic regression model was used to determine factors associated with complete bone pain relief.

RESULTS

A total of 210 participants with a mean age of 72.3 years were recruited. The LUTS score showed a decrease of 7.1 points after surgical castration (95% CI: 6.4 to 7.7, p < 0.001). The bone pain score showed an absolute decrease of 39.8% (95% CI: 34.7 to 44.9, p < 0.001) after surgical castration, with more than half of the patients (111, 52.9%) reporting bone pain relief within the first two weeks. Among the factors associated with greater pain relief were being in a marital union (aOR 2.73, 95% CI: 1.26 to 5.89, p < 0.011). Normal BMI was also linked to pain relief in bivariate analysis (OR 1.92, 95% CI: 1.03 to 3.61, p < 0.035). Additionally, patients with severe bone pain before surgical castration were more likely to achieve complete pain relief compared to those with mild or moderate pain (odds ratio 8.32, 95% CI: 3.63 to 19.1, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Surgical castration improves both bone pain and lower urinary tract symptoms in patients with advanced prostate cancer. Notably, patients experiencing severe bone pain reported resolution of bone pain symptoms within the first and second weeks, respectively, indicating the prompt effectiveness of the surgery on these symptoms.

Genitourinary toxicity in patients receiving TURP prior to hypofractionated radiotherapy for clinically localized prostate cancer: A scoping review

BACKGROUND

When compared with conventional external beam radiotherapy, hypofractionated radiotherapy has led to less treatment sessions and improved quality of life without compromising oncological outcomes for men with prostate cancer. Evidence has shown transurethral prostatic resection prior to brachytherapy and external beam radiotherapy is associated with worsening genitourinary toxicity. However, there is no review of genitourinary toxicity when TURP occurs prior to definitive hypofractionated radiotherapy. In this review, we seek to illustrate the genitourinary outcomes for men with localized prostate cancer who underwent transurethral resection of the prostate prior to receiving definitive hypofractionated radiotherapy. Genitourinary outcomes are explored, and any predictive risk factors for increased genitourinary toxicity are described.

METHODS

PubMed, Medline (Ovid), EMBASE and Cochrane Library were all searched for relevant articles published in English within the last 25 years. This scoping review identified a total of 579 articles. Following screening by authors, 11 articles were included for analysis.

RESULTS

Five studies reported on acute and late toxicity. One article reported only acute toxicity while 5 documented late toxicity only. While most articles found no increased risk of acute toxicity, the risk of late toxicity, particularly hematuria was noted to be significant. Risk factors including poor baseline urinary function, prostate volume, number of prior transurethral prostatic resections, timing of radiotherapy following transurethral prostatic resection, volume of the intraprostatic resection cavity and mean dose delivered to the cavity were all found to influence genitourinary outcomes.

CONCLUSION

For those who have undergone prior TURP hypofractionated radiotherapy may increase the risk of late urinary toxicity, particularly hematuria. Those with persisting bladder dysfunction following TURP are at greatest risk and careful management of these men is required. Close collaboration between urologists and radiation oncologists is recommended to discuss the management of patients with residual baseline bladder dysfunction prior to commencing hypofractionated radiotherapy.

Triptorelin therapy for lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) in prostate cancer patients: A systematic meta-analysis

Objective

This systematic meta-analysis aimed to assess the effectiveness of triptorelin therapy in reducing lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) in men with prostate cancer (PCa).

Methods

The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were followed. PubMed, Web of Science and EMBASE databases were searched for studies conducted between 2013 and 2023. Eligible studies included PCa patients undergoing androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) with triptorelin, with reported baseline and follow-up International Prostate Symptom Scores (IPSS) and quality of life (QoL) data. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) was used to assess the risk of bias, and a random-effects model was applied for the meta-analysis.

Results

A total of 29 articles were identified, and three studies met the inclusion criteria. Triptorelin therapy showed a clinically significant reduction in IPSS over 48 weeks in PCa patients with moderate to severe LUTS. The meta-analysis revealed a pooled effect size of 1.05 (95% CI: 0.65; 1.45), indicating a statistically significant improvement in LUTS. QoL also improved in patients receiving triptorelin therapy, although heterogeneity among the studies and a moderate to high risk of bias were noted.

Conclusion

Triptorelin therapy demonstrated a positive impact on LUTS in PCa patients. The meta-analysis showed significant reductions in IPSS scores and improved QoL after 48 weeks of triptorelin treatment. However, the results should be interpreted cautiously due to study heterogeneity and potential biases. Further well-designed studies are needed to confirm these findings and determine the optimal use of triptorelin for managing LUTS in men with PCa.

Implications for Practice

Triptorelin therapy may offer an effective treatment option for men with PCa experiencing moderate to severe LUTS. Its positive impact on QoL can lead to improved patient well-being and treatment adherence. Clinicians should consider triptorelin as a potential treatment choice, especially in patients who may be reluctant to undergo surgical interventions for their LUTS. However, careful patient selection and close monitoring are essential due to the observed study heterogeneity and risk of bias. Future research should focus on evaluating triptorelin's cost-effectiveness and comparing its efficacy with other LH-RH agonists in managing LUTS in PCa patients.Video Abstract: URL (Reviewers/Editors to select from) Link 1: https://brighton.cloud.panopto.eu/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=071419c8-1ad5-4502-a222-b04300c2ca5e Link 2: https://brighton.cloud.panopto.eu/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=b6305a8a-b977-4fcd-a69e-b04300bed728.

The Association of Prostate Cancer and Urinary Tract Infections: A New Perspective of Prostate Cancer Pathogenesis

Background and objectives: Microbiota of the urinary tract may be associated with urinary tract malignancy, including prostate cancer. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively collected patients with newly diagnosed prostate cancer and subjects without prostate cancer from the National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) in Taiwan between 1 January 2000 and 31 December 2016. A total of 5510 subjects were recruited and followed until the diagnosis of a primary outcome (urinary tract infection, pyelonephritis, cystitis, and prostatitis). Results: We found that the patients with prostate cancer had a significantly higher risk of urinary tract infections than those without prostate cancer. The adjusted hazard ratios for pyelonephritis, prostatitis, and cystitis were 2.30 (95% CI = 1.36–3.88), 2.04 (95% CI = 1.03–4.05), and 4.02 (95 % CI = 2.11–7.66), respectively. We clearly identified the sites of infection and associated comorbidities in the prostate cancer patients with urinary tract infections. In addition, we found that the patients receiving radiotherapy and androgen deprivation therapy had a lower risk of urinary tract infections than the patients in corresponding control groups. Conclusions: Our study suggests that an abnormal urine microbiome could potentially contribute to the development of prostate cancer through inflammation and immune dysregulation. Furthermore, an imbalanced microbiome may facilitate bacterial overgrowth in urine, leading to urinary tract infections. These findings have important implications for the diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer. Further research is needed to better understand the role of the urine microbiome in prostate cancer pathogenesis and to identify potential microbiome-targeted therapies for the prevention and treatment of prostate cancer.

Using a Further Planning MRI after Neoadjuvant Androgen Deprivation Therapy Significantly Reduces the Radiation Exposure of Organs at Risk in External Beam Radiotherapy of Prostate Cancer

Radiotherapy for prostate cancer is often preceded by neoadjuvant androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), which leads to a reduction in the size of the prostate. This study examines whether it is relevant for treatment planning to acquire a second planning magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) after ADT (=MRI 2) or whether it can be planned without disadvantage based on an MRI acquired before starting ADT (=MRI 1). The imaging data for the radiotherapy treatment planning of 17 patients with prostate cancer who received two planning MRIs (before and after neoadjuvant ADT) were analyzed as follows: detailed comparable radiation plans were created separately, each based on the planning CT scan and either MRI 1 or MRI 2. After ADT for an average of 17.2 weeks, the prostate was reduced in size by an average of 24%. By using MRI 2 for treatment planning, the V60Gy of the rectum could be significantly relieved by an average of 15% with the same coverage of the target volume, and the V70Gy by as much as 33% (compared to using MRI 1 alone). Using a second MRI for treatment planning after neoadjuvant ADT in prostate cancer leads to a significant relief for the organs at risk, especially in the high dose range, with the same irradiation of the target volume, and should therefore be carried out regularly. Waiting for the prostate to shrink after a few months of ADT contributes to relief for the organs at risk and to lowering the toxicity. However, the use of reduced target volumes requires an image-guided application, and the oncological outcome needs to be verified in further studies.

Updates on androgen replacement therapy and lower urinary tract symptoms: a narrative review

Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) are caused by higher tension at the bladder neck level (due to fibrosis or stiffness) or benign prostatic hyperplasia, which causes static obstruction of the bladder outlet. Both forms cause a group of symptoms such as hesitancy, intermittency, weak stream, nocturia, urine frequency, and urgency. Additionally, LUTS (obstructive or irritative symptoms) are common in elderly men with hypogonadism, identified as the reduced testes capability in producing sex steroids and sperm, and are categorized as testosterone deficiency. Even though the mode of action (MoA) of testosterone therapy (TTh) on hypogonadal men needs more researched and understanding, the effectiveness of TTh in the development of male genital organs has been reported in several studies. This review shows the latest updates of TTh in LUTS including potential adverse effects, advantages, and disadvantages.

Effect of LHRH analogs on lower urinary tract symptoms associated with advanced prostate cancer in real clinical practice: ANALUTS study

AIMS

To estimate the prevalence of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) in patients with prostate cancer scheduled to receive LHRH analogs, and to assess the effectiveness of LHRH analogs on LUTS in patients presenting moderate/severe symptoms.

METHODS

Prospective, noninterventional, multicenter study conducted at 28 centers in Spain and Portugal. LUTS were evaluated using the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) at baseline, 24 and 48 weeks after initiation of treatment. Subanalyses were performed according to age and concomitant treatment (radiotherapy, alpha-blockers, and antiandrogens).

RESULTS

A total of 354 patients were treated with LHRH analogs for 48 weeks. The percentage of patients with moderate/severe LUTS (IPSS &gt; 7) decreased from 60.2% (n = 213/354) at baseline to 52.8% (n = 187/354) at Week 48. Among patients with moderate/severe LUTS at baseline: 73.7% (n = 157/213) still had moderate/severe LUTS at Week 48; percentage reductions of patients with LUTS at Week 48 were statistically significant (p &lt; 0.05) overall and by age or concomitant treatment, except for alpha-blockers (84.2% patients receiving them still had moderate/severe LUTS at Week 48). All IPSS items, including quality of life for urinary symptoms, improved throughout the study. The only predictor of response to treatment with LHRH analogs that improved IPSS by 3 points after 48 weeks was baseline testosterone levels. Lower baseline testosterone levels were associated with greater improvement in IPSS after treatment with LHRH analogs (odds ratio 0.998, 95% confidence interval 0.996-1.000, p = 0.0277).

CONCLUSION

LHRH analogs have a positive effect in patients with locally advanced or metastatic prostate cancer presenting moderate/severe LUTS regardless of age or concomitant treatment received (radiotherapy, antiandrogens, or alpha-blockers).

Correlation Between Testosterone Replacement Treatment and Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms

Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) are a cluster of voiding symptoms, such as weak stream, hesitancy, intermittency, urinary frequency, urgency, and nocturia. LUTS are frequent in elderly men and it considered the ultimate clinical symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia. With aging, male hypogonadism is increased which is defined as decreased ability of the testes to produce sperm and sex steroids because of a pituitary/hypothalamic, or testicular deficiency. In academic andrology associations, the term "male hypogonadism" is commonly used to categorize testosterone deficiency. Testosterone deficiency syndrome (TDS) is defined as a decrease in serum testosterone accompanied by symptoms such as libido decrease, depressive disorder, erectile dysfunction, and fatigue. Although the mechanism about testosterone-replacement therapy (TRT) effects on men with hypogonadism is not yet identified, TRT has been shown to effectively relieve the symptoms of TDS as well as LUTS by several studies. Although the present review demonstrates the effectiveness and safety of TRT in men with TDS by prior studies, future large scale of clinical trials should be conducted to present more high-quality evidence to clinicians and patients.

Effect of Enzalutamide plus Androgen Deprivation Therapy on Health-related Quality of Life in Patients with Metastatic Hormone-sensitive Prostate Cancer: An Analysis of the ARCHES Randomised, Placebo-controlled, Phase 3 Study

BACKGROUND

In the ARCHES study in metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (mHSPC), enzalutamide plus androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) improved radiographic progression-free survival (rPFS) versus ADT alone.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate patient-reported outcomes (PROs) to week 73.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

ARCHES (NCT02677896) was a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 3 study in mHSPC patients.

INTERVENTION

Enzalutamide (160 mg/day) plus ADT or placebo plus ADT.

OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS AND STATISTICAL ANALYSIS

PROs were assessed at baseline, week 13, and every 12 wk until disease progression using the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire-Prostate 25 (QLQ-PR25), Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Prostate (FACT-P), Brief Pain Inventory Short Form, and EuroQoL 5-Dimensions, 5-Levels (EQ-5D-5 L) instruments. Endpoints included time to first (TTFD) and first confirmed (TTFCD) clinically meaningful deterioration (using predefined questionnaire thresholds) in health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and pain.

RESULTS AND LIMITATIONS

A total of 1150 patients received ADT plus enzalutamide (n = 574) or placebo (n = 576). Baseline PRO scores indicated high HRQoL and low pain, which was generally maintained in both groups. There were no statistically significant (nominal p > 0.05) between-group differences that occurred in both TTFD and TTFCD together for QLQ-PR25 and FACT-P scores. Enzalutamide significantly delayed TTFD in worst pain (by ∼3 mo; nominal p = 0.032), pain severity (nominal p = 0.021), and EQ-5D-5 L visual analogue scale score (nominal p = 0.0070) versus placebo (not significant for confirmed deterioration for pain outcomes). Enzalutamide delays deterioration in several HRQoL subscales and pain severity in high-volume disease.

CONCLUSIONS

Enzalutamide plus ADT enables men with mHSPC to maintain high-functioning HRQoL and low symptom burden.

PATIENT SUMMARY

This study examined the effect on health-related quality of life and pain of adding enzalutamide or placebo to androgen deprivation therapy for patients with metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer. Addition of enzalutamide allowed patients to maintain their health-related quality of life.

Sequencing of Androgen-Deprivation Therapy With External-Beam Radiotherapy in Localized Prostate Cancer: A Phase III Randomized Controlled Trial

PURPOSE

Dose-escalated radiotherapy (RT) with androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT) is a standard definitive treatment of localized prostate cancer (LPCa). The optimal sequencing of these therapies is unclear. Our phase III trial compared neoadjuvant versus concurrent initiation of ADT in combination with dose-escalated prostate RT (PRT).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Patients with newly diagnosed LPCa with Gleason score ≤ 7, clinical stage T1b to T3a, and prostate-specific antigen < 30 ng/mL were randomly allocated to neoadjuvant and concurrent ADT for 6 months starting 4 months before RT (neoadjuvant group) or concurrent and adjuvant ADT for 6 months starting simultaneously with RT (concurrent group). The primary end point was biochemical relapse-free survival (bRFS). Stratified log-rank test was used to compare bRFS and overall survival (OS). Incidence of grade ≥ 3 late RT-related toxicities was compared by log-rank test.

RESULTS

Overall, 432 patients were randomly assigned to the neoadjuvant (n = 215) or concurrent group (n = 217). At 10 years, bRFS rates for the two groups were 80.5% and 87.4%, respectively. Ten-year OS rates were 76.4% and 73.7%, respectively. There was no significant difference in bRFS (P = .10) or OS (P = .70) between the two groups. Relative to the neoadjuvant group, the hazard ratio for the concurrent group was 0.66 (95% CI, 0.41 to 1.07) for bRFS and 0.94 (95% CI, 0.68 to 1.30) for OS. No significant difference was observed in the 3-year incidence of late RT-related grade ≥ 3 GI (2.5% v 3.9%) or genitourinary toxicity (2.9% v 2.9%).

CONCLUSION

In our study, there was no statistically significant difference in bRFS between the two treatment groups. Similarly, no difference was seen in OS or late RT-related toxicities. On the basis of these results, both neoadjuvant and concurrent initiations of short-term ADT with dose-escalated PRT are reasonable standards of care for LPCa.

Combined androgen blockade (CAB) versus luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) agonist monotherapy for androgen deprivation therapy

PURPOSE

Combined androgen blockade (CAB) and luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) agonist monotherapy are commonly used in androgen deprivation therapy (ADT). In this randomized clinical trial, we aimed to compare the two methods of ADT in terms of quality of life (QOL).

METHODS

Eighty patients who underwent primary ADT for newly diagnosed prostate cancer were randomly assigned to CAB group (Group 1) and LHRH agonist monotherapy group (Group 2). Leuprolide and anti-androgen (bicalutamide 50 mg) were used to minimize the confounding effects caused by medication. QOL was evaluated at baseline, 3 months and 6 months post-ADT using validated EORTC QLQ-C30, PR25, and depression questionnaires. A difference of > 10 points in the EORTC domain scores was defined as 'clinically significant'.

RESULTS

In the baseline characteristics, there was no significant difference between the two groups. At 3 months after ADT, Group 1 had significantly lower pain scores than Group 2 (p = 0.004), while Group 1 had significantly poorer diarrhea symptom score than Group 2, without clinical significance (p = 0.047). No significant differences were observed in the C30, PR25 domains, and the depression score at 3 months. At 6 months, the QOL scores of all the groups were similar.

CONCLUSIONS

There was no difference in the patient's QOL, except that CAB group was associated with significantly better pain relief than LHRH agonist monotherapy at 3 months following ADT, which was not sustained thereafter. Our results suggest that the benefit of prolonged (≥ 3 months) CAB is questionable in terms of patients' QOL.

Are all gonadotrophin-releasing hormone agonists equivalent for the treatment of prostate cancer? A systematic review

To review direct comparative studies of the gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonists goserelin, triptorelin, and leuprorelin for the treatment of prostate cancer, and identify whether there are meaningful clinical differences between these agents. In June 2017, the following searches were performed independently by two reviewers in PubMed: (i) 'prostate cancer' and 'triptorelin' and 'leuprorelin', (ii) 'prostate cancer' and 'triptorelin' and 'goserelin', and (iii) 'prostate cancer' and 'goserelin' and 'leuprorelin', without time restriction. Duplicates were deleted. Relevant conference abstracts were also screened. A total of 16 direct comparative trials were identified: 12 reported on efficacy outcomes, four on safety/tolerability, and five on the convenience of administration/user perceptions. These studies are restricted in terms of patient numbers, formulations assessed, and endpoints measured; none were adequately powered for survival outcome measures. Studies reporting on efficacy endpoints did not show major differences in the ability of these GnRH agonists to reduce levels of testosterone or prostate-specific antigen. Some studies suggest differences in short- or long-term testosterone control, the rate of injection site adverse events, and patient/healthcare professional perceptions, but definitive conclusions cannot be drawn from the existing evidence. Few direct comparative trials of GnRH agonists have been conducted. Whilst GnRH agonists provide a similar castration effect, there is not enough evidence to show that GnRH agonists are equivalent.