Breast and ovarian cancer drugs effective in advanced prostate cancer

This is an automatically translated article.

The article was written by Dr. Nguyen Hong Thanh - Researcher - Vinmec High Technology Center

The drug olaparib is a medicine used to treat breast and ovarian cancer. Scientists at Cancer Research UK have found that the drug is much more effective in stopping the growth of prostate cancer than hormone therapy.

Scientists at Cancer Research UK have discovered the treatment effects of advanced prostate cancer of a drug licensed to treat breast and ovarian cancer . The findings are published in the New England Journal of Medicine (April 2020).

Based on the mechanism of repairing damaged DNA sites, Olaparib has the ability to stop the growth of prostate cancer much more effectively than hormone therapy. In some male patients with mutations in genes thought to be involved in DNA repair, including BRCA, positive effects have been observed with Olaparib treatment.
Professor Nick James, a prostate specialist with Cancer Research UK, says this is one of the key findings. He said that this work has provided a method to select male patients based on the analysis of mutations in the BRCA gene or mutations that affect the ability to repair DNA.

Targeting prostate cancer patients Olaparib is a type of PARP inhibitor that works by specifically targeting cancer cells that carry mutations in the BRCA gene or DNA repair genes. PARP inhibitors that target BRCA and other mutations are well known as a common treatment for breast and ovarian cancer patients. However, mutations in the BRCA gene also increase the risk of prostate cancer in men and may aggravate cancer progression.

Researchers tested the effectiveness of Olaparib on men with advanced prostate cancer that had stopped responding or failed to respond to hormone therapies. A research team from The Institute of Cancer Research and The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust evaluated the effects of Olaparib in a clinical trial involving 387 men with advanced prostate cancer. late.
Selected patients were those who had stopped responding or failed to respond to hormone therapy and the cancer had spread to other parts of the body. Patients were randomized to intervention using olaparib or hormone therapy using abiraterone or enzalutamide. Men on hormone therapy in the control group were selected for the study depending on their prior treatment regimen. For example, if they used abiraterone before entering the study, they would be assigned enzalutamide and vice versa.
This type of crossover therapy is not recommended by the UK Department of Health (NHS) because it is not effective when prostate cancer is at an advanced stage.

The effect of slowing down cancer progression

The researchers found that using Olaparib to treat male patients with advanced prostate cancer with mutations in 12 genes including BRCA1, BRCA2, and DNA repair genes was effective. forward. Tumor size did not increase in size for an average of 7.4 months, compared with 3.6 months in those taking enzalutamide or abiraterone.
Survival rates in men with BRCA1, BRCA2 or ATM mutations averaged 19 months after olaparib treatment, compared with 15 months for those taking abiraterone or enzalutamide. In fact, more than 80% of male patients with prostate cancer chose to use Olaparib over hormone therapy as their cancer advanced and spread.
In the hormonal control group, many patients chose to use Olaparib (PARP inhibitor) when the trial was conducted. However, survival was also found in these patients to be higher than in the hormonal therapy group alone. This indicates that Olaparib is effective in patients carrying mutations in BRCA and DNA repair genes. However, longer follow-up is needed to determine the benefits of therapy.

Move forward

The researchers hope this finding will soon be approved by Health England as a treatment for patients with advanced prostate cancer carrying mutations in the DNA repair gene.
Professor Johann de Bono, who co-led the study at the Institute of Cancer Research said: "It is exciting to see a drug that has extended the lives of many women with ovarian and breast cancer, is also showing clear benefits for prostate cancer patients.I hope this drug will soon pass clinical trials and be approved for use in prostate cancer patients .”
“The next thing we need to do is to evaluate how we can combine Olaparib with other treatments to help find an effective treatment for men with prostate cancer. Prostate cancer is a dangerous disease that seriously affects the health and quality of life of the patient. have a great influence on the results of treatment. When suspecting that the body appears the initial symptoms of the disease, you should go to reputable medical facilities for examination and diagnosis.
Currently, Vinmec International General Hospital provides an intensive prostate cancer examination package to help patients:
Early detection of the possibility of prostate cancer to take preventive measures. Visited with leading doctors with many years of experience. With the most advanced equipment in the medical field today, it helps to diagnose accurately and comprehensively. Customers who are screened for prostate cancer at Vinmec, if detected, will be monitored and treated with cancer treatment methods: Robotic laparoscopic surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, and follow-up planning. , manage and treat patients according to the most advanced and modern methods. To register for an examination at Vinmec International General Hospital, you can contact the nationwide Vinmec Health System Hotline, or register online HERE.
Reference source: cancerresearchuk.org