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PSA Predicts Prostate Cancer Survival
Aug. 29, 2006 -- How long will a man with advanced prostate cancer prostate cancer survive? That may be related to how low his PSA level drops after androgen-deprivation therapy.
The finding comes from University of Michigan researcher Maha Hussain, MD, and colleagues. They're conducting a study of men newly diagnosed with prostate cancercancer that has spread to other parts of their bodies. For men with this deadly metastatic cancer, it is big news.
It depends on a simple blood test. Prostate cells -- especially prostate cancer cells -- give off a marker called PSA (prostate-specific antigen).
After seven months of androgen-deprivation therapy, which is standard treatment for metastatic prostate cancer, men with low PSA levels have only one-fourth the chance of dying as men with higher PSA levels. Those with undetectable PSA levels have only one-fifth the risk of death as men with higher PSA levels.
"Low or undetectable PSA after seven months of androgen-deprivation therapy is a powerful predictor of risk of death in patients with new metastatic prostate cancer," Hussain said, in a news release. "These findings could help patients avoid ineffective treatment."
PSA Test Predicts Prostate Cancer Death
Metastatic prostate cancer is usually fatal. Some patients die quickly. Others survive for years. Until now, there's been no reliable way to tell a patient which group he's in.
Standard treatment for spreading prostate cancer is to give a man a drug that blocks male hormones. It's called androgen-deprivation therapy. It's not a cure. Eventually, the body becomes resistant to the drug. But treatment fails earlier in some men than in others.
Now there may be a way to predict this treatment failure. Hussain and colleagues studied 1,345 men who were on androgen-deprivation therapy for seven months.
The men whose PSA levels stayed above 4.0 ng/mL survived only 13 months on average after the seven months of treatment. The men whose PSA levels were 4.0 ng/mL or less but more than 0.2 ng/mL survived an average 3.5 years. And the men whose PSA levels were undetectable (less than or equal to 0.2 ng/mL) lived for six years.
The findings could also provide what the researchers call a "window of opportunity" to test new treatments for advanced prostate cancer.
Hussain and colleagues are now testing whether successful androgen-deprivation therapy can be prolonged by stopping and starting treatment after the seven-month "induction" period.
The study appears in the Aug. 20 issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
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Indication
Uroxatral® (alfuzosin HCl 10 mg extended-release tablets) is an alpha1-blocker for the treatment of the signs and symptoms of BPH.
Important Safety Information
Do not take UROXATRAL if you have liver problems or if you are taking antifungal drugs like ketoconazole or itraconazole, or HIV drugs like ritonavir.
UROXATRAL can cause a sudden drop in blood pressure, especially when starting treatment. This may lead to fainting, dizziness, and lightheadedness. Do not drive, operate machinery, or do any dangerous activity until you know how UROXATRAL will affect you. This is especially important if you already have a problem with low blood pressure or take medicines to treat high blood pressure. There may be an increased risk of low blood pressure and fainting when taking UROXATRAL in combination with blood pressure medication or nitrates, or erectile dysfunction medication.
If considering cataract surgery (clouding of the eyes), tell your eye surgeon that you are currently taking UROXATRAL or have previously been treated with an alpha-blocker.
Before taking UROXATRAL, tell your doctor if you have kidney problems.
Also, tell your doctor if you or any family member(s) have or take medications for a rare heart condition known as congenital prolongation of the QT interval.
BPH and prostate cancer can cause the same symptoms. However, UROXATRAL is not a treatment for prostate cancer.
The most common side effects with UROXATRAL are dizziness, upper respiratory tract infection, headache, and tiredness.
Please see UROXATRAL full prescribing information.
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