Multicenter phase II study of combined neoadjuvant docetaxel and hormone therapy before radical prostatectomy for patients with high risk localized prostate cancer.

PURPOSE: We assessed pathological outcomes as well as the feasibility of combined docetaxel and androgen deprivation therapy in men with prostate cancer before undergoing prostatectomy.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this phase II multicenter study of newly diagnosed patients with untreated clinically localized prostate cancer and high risk features, all patients received androgen deprivation therapy (6.3 mg buserelin acetate every 8 weeks for 3 doses and antiandrogen for 4 weeks) with docetaxel (35 mg/m(2) weekly for 6 of 8 weeks for 3 doses).

RESULTS: A total of 72 men with a median age of 59 years (range 46 to 78) were enrolled in the study. Baseline characteristics included clinical stage T1C, T2 or T3 in 14%, 47% and 39%, and Gleason score 7 or less, 8 and 9 in 40%, 29% and 31% of patients, respectively. Median baseline prostate specific antigen was 10.8 mug/l (range 1.6 to 65.6). Eight patients did not complete protocol therapy because of toxicity (4), withdrawal of consent (1) and other reasons (3). Of the 64 patients completing protocol therapy 2 had a complete pathological response. Pathological stage was T2 in 53% and T3 in 44% of patients. Four patients had N1 disease and positive surgical margins were identified in 27%. At a median followup of 42.7 months (range 25.6 to 65.6) 19 patients (30%) had disease relapse.

CONCLUSIONS: Combined androgen deprivation and docetaxel before prostatectomy was feasible, and resulted in encouraging recurrence-free survival. While pathological down staging was observed, pathological complete response rates were rare.