Prostate Cancer, Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer (CRPC), Radium-223 Dichloride Injection for Bone Metastasized Prostate Cancer

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to discuss the most important facts about prostate cancer, its treatments and efficacy, the type of prostate cancer that does not improve with hormonal therapy (Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer-CRPC), and the recently approved Radium-223 dichloride targeted therapy for CRPC that has metastasized to bones. Prostate cancer is the third most common malignancy diagnosed worldwide and the most common malignant disease in men. Also, the incidence of prostate cancer varies between regions. So it’s important to have a proper understanding of all above points to prevent the further development and spread of cancer and improve the cure rate. Design: The paper begins by discussing what prostate cancer is, the risk factors, clinical manifestations, and the treatments for prostate cancer. It covers the clinical manifestations, pathology, screening (cancer biomarker Prostate Specific Antigen, Digital Rectal Examination—DRE, prostate biopsy, and imaging) and treatments for prostate cancer. The paper then delves into the main treatment methods for prostate cancer, including how Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer (CRPC) differs from normal prostate cancer after hormone suppression therapy. Additionally, it discusses the effectiveness of the recently introduced Radium-223 dichloride injection as a radiation-targeted therapy for treating CRPC that has metastasized to bones. This section covers the properties of radium-223 dichloride injection, its pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, absorption and volume of distribution, half-life, metabolism, route of elimination, clearance, toxicity, adverse effects, and mechanism of action at the tumor site. It also discusses preclinical studies related to radium-223 dichloride injection and its effectiveness in treating CRPC patients with bone metastasis. Conclusion: Prostate cancer is a common cancer that can be treated with surgery or hormonal therapy. However, if the cancer progresses despite hormonal therapy, Radium-223 dichloride injection can be used as a radiation target therapy to treat patients with CRPC and symptomatic bone metastases. This treatment kills tumor cells in bones and reduces associated pain with minimal damage to surrounding normal tissue. However, the metastatic disease cannot be cured and can only offer palliation for the patient. Suggestions: Based on the facts, Radium-223 target therapy is effective in treating and providing palliation for cancers. It is suggested to further develop the usage of radiation target therapy and to test the safety and efficacy of more than 6 injections of Radium-223 dichloride and its combination with currently used chemotherapy drugs for bone metastasized CRPC. This paper aims to contribute to future research designs related to cancer therapies using radiation and to design new studies and practical implementations, especially regarding the usage of radium-223 dichloride.

Comprehensive treatment for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer with neuroendocrine differentiation:a case report

Retrospective analysis of the progression of a case of metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer with neuroendocrine differentiation:the patient was a 65 year old man with prostate adenocarcinoma on prostate biopsy,Gleason 4+4 score=8,70%,ISUP4 group,localized invasion of nerves.Progressed to metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer after 8 months of novel endocrine therapy,persistent elevated PSA after endocrine therapy,chemotherapy,and radiation,abdominal metastasis,brain metastasis,gastric metastasis,and staging as neuroendocrine differentiation after second prostate biopsy,which is a highly malignant subtype and has been concerned as a mechanism of resistance to targeted therapies.We discuss how to choose a more optimal treatment plan and outline the patient's diagnostic and therapeutic course.We provide a reflection for the clinical study of metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer with neuroendocrine type.

Prognostic factors in Chinese patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer treated with docetaxel-based chemotherapy

This study aims to evaluate the potential value of patient characteristics in predicting overall survival （OS） in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer （mCRPC） treated with docetaxel-based thermotherapy. A total of 115 patients with mCRPC undergoing a docetaxel q3w regimen were enrolled in this study. A survival analysis was performed using the Kaplan-Meier method. Cox proportional hazards models were used to evaluate the prognostic value of all covariates for OS. OS was also analysed after stratifying patients according to the results of multivariate analysis. The median OS for the entire cohort was 17.0 months. The multivariate analysis showed that the prostate-specific antigen doubling time （PSADT）, baseline haemoglobin （Hb） concentration, alkaline phosphatase （ALP） concentration, cycles of chemotherapy and time to castration resistance were independent prognostic factors of OS. According to the presence of PSADT 〈46.3 days and baseline ALP/〉 110 IU 1-1, all patients were divided into three risk groups： low-risk group （no risk factors）, intermediate-risk group （one risk factor） and high-risk group （two risk factors）. Median OSs for patients in low-, intermediate- and high-risk groups were 28.0 months （95% Ch 23.8-32.2）, 21.0 months （95% Ch 18.9-23.1） and 11.0 months （95% Ch 7.6-14.4）, respectively （P〈O.O01）. In conclusion, PSADT, baseline Hb concentration, ALP concentration, cycles of chemotherapy and time to castration resistance were independent prognostic factors of OS in Chinese patients with mCRPC treated with docetaxel. PSADT combined with the baseline ALP concentration could be a useful risk stratification parameter for evaluating survival outcomes.

Androgen synthesis inhibitors in the treatment of castration-resistant prostate cancer

Suppression of gonadal testosterone synthesis represents the standard first line therapy for treatment of metastatic prostate cancer. However, in the majority of patients who develop castration-resistant prostate cancer （CRPC）, it is possible to detect persistent activation of the androgen receptor （AR） through androgens produced in the adrenal gland or within the tumor itself. Abiraterone acetate was developed as an irreversible inhibitor of the dual functional cytochrome P450 enzyme CYP17 with activity as a 17（^-hydroxylase and 17,20-1yase. CYP17 is necessary for production of nongonadal androgens from cholesterol. Regulatory approval of abiraterone in 2011, based on a phase III trial showing a significant improvement in overall survival （OS） with abiraterone and prednisone versus prednisone, represented proof of principle that targeting AR is essential for improving outcomes in men with CRPC. Inhibition of 17α-hydroxylase by abiraterone results in accumulation of upstream mineralocorticoids due to loss of cortisol-mediated suppression of pituitary adrenocorticotropic hormone （ACTH）, providing a rationale for development of CYP17 inhibitors with increased specificity for 17,20-1yase （orteronel, galeterone and VT-464） that can potentially be administered without exogenous corticosteroids. In this article, we review the development of abiraterone and other CYP17 inhibitors; recent studies with abiraterone that inform our understanding of clinical parameters such as drug effects on quality-of-life, potential early predictors of response, and optimal sequencing of abiraterone with respect to other agents; and results of translational studies providing insights into resistance mechanisms to CYP17 inhibitors leading to clinical trials with drug combinations designed to prolong abiraterone benefit or restore abiraterone activity.

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy of serum predicts sensitivity to docetaxel-based chemotherapy in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer

Docetaxel-based chemotherapy,as the first-line treatment for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer(mCRPC),has succeeded in helping quite a number of patients to improve quality of life and prolong survival time.However,almost half of mCRPC patients are not sensitive to docetaxel chemotherapy initially.This study aimed to establish models to predict sensitivity to docetaxel chemotherapy in patients with mCRPC by using serum surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy(SERS).A total of 32 mCPRC patients who underwent docetaxel chemo-therapy at our center from July 2016 to March 2018 were included in this study.Patients were dichotomized in prostate-specific antigen(PSA)response group(n=17)versus PSA failure group(n=15)according to the response to docetaxel.In total 64 matched spectra from 32 mCRPC patients were obtained by using SERS of serum at baseline(q0)and after 1 cycle of docetaxel chemotherapy(ql).Comparing Raman peaks of serum samples at baseline(q0)be-tween two groups,significant differences revealed at the peaks of 638,810,890(p<0.05)and 1136cm^(-1)(p<0.01).The prediction models of peak 1363 cm^(-1)and principal component anal-ysis and linear discriminant analysis(PCA-LDA)based on Raman data were established,re-spectively.The sensitivity and specificity of the prediction models were 71%,80%and 69%,78%through the way of leave-one-out cross-validation.According to the results of five-cross-valida-tion,the PCA-LDA model revealed an accuracy of 0.73 and AUC of 0.83.

Comparative analysis of the effectiveness of abiraterone before and after docetaxel in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer

AIM: To study the efficacy and safety of abiraterone in patients with and without prior chemotherapy.METHODS: The databases including Pub Med and abstracts presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology meetings up to April 2014 were systematically searched. Eligible studies included randomized controlled trials(RCTs) in which abiraterone plus prednisone was compared to placebo plus prednisone in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer(CRPC) patients. The summary incidence, relative risk, hazard ratio and 95%CI were calculated using random or fixed-effects models. Heterogeneity test was performed to test between-study differences in efficacy and toxicity.RESULTS: A total of two phase III RCTs were included in our analysis, with metastatic CPRC patients before(n = 1088) and after chemotherapy(n = 1195). Prior chemotherapy did not significantly alter the effect of abiraterone on overall survival(P = 0.92) and prostatespecific antigen(PSA) progression-free survival(P = 0.13), but reduced its effect on radiographic-prog-ression-free survival(P = 0.04), objective response rate(P < 0.001), and PSA response rate(P < 0.001). Prior chemotherapy significantly increased the specific risk of fluid retention and edema(P < 0.001) and hypokalemia(P < 0.001), but decreased the risk of all-grade hypertension(P < 0.001) attributable to abiraterone. There was no significant difference of cardiac disorders associated with abiraterone between the two settings(P = 0.58). CONCLUSION: Prior chemotherapy may reduce the effectiveness of abiraterone in patients with metastatic CRPC.

The effectiveness of the TAX 327 nomogram in predicting overall survival in Chinese patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer

Based on the results of TAX 327, a nomogram was developed to predict the overall survival of metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer （mCRPC） after first-line chemotherapy. The nomogram, however, has not been validated in an independent dataset, especially in a series out of clinical trials. Thus, the objective of the current study was to validate the TAX 327 nomogram in a community setting in China. A total of 146 patients with mCRPC who received first-line chemotherapy （docetaxel or mitoxantrone） were identified. Because clinical trials are limited in China's Mainland, those patients did not receive investigational treatment after the failure of first-line chemotherapy. The predicted overall survival rate was calculated from the TAX 327 nomogram. The validity of the model was assessed with discrimination, calibration and decision curve analysis. The median survival of the cohort was 21 months （docetaxel） and 19 months （mitoxantrone） at last follow-up. The predictive c-index of the TAX 327 nomogram was 0.66 （95% CI： 0.54-0.70）. The calibration plot demonstrated that the 2-year survival rate was underestimated by the nomogram. Decision curve analysis showed a net benefit of the nomogram at a threshold probability greater than 30%. In conclusion, the present validation study did not confirm the predictive value of the TAX 327 nomogram in a contemporary community series of men in China, and further studies with a large sample size to develop or validate nomograms for predicting survival and selecting therapies in advanced prostate cancer are necessary.

The prognostic factors of effective ketoconazole treatment for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer： who can benefit from ketoconazole therapy？

We investigated the prognostic value of some variables of effective ketoconazole treatment for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer （mCRPC）. In total, 163 patients with mCRPC were eligible, receiving ketoconazole 200-400 mg three times daily with replacement doses of prednisone. Progression-free survival （PFS） was calculated from the beginning of the ketoconazole therapy to the onset of disease progression. The prognostic value of different variables for PFS was assessed by Cox regression analysis. The median PFS was 2.6 months （0.5-8.6 months） for these patients. The serum testosterone level changed during therapy, which decreased when the prostate-specific antigen （PSA） declined; the serum testosterone level increased as the levels of PSA relapsed. The median PFS values for patients associated with different factors were the following： 1.4 and 3.5 months for a nadir PSA of ≥ 0.2 and 〈0.2 ng ml- 1, respectively （hazard rate （HR）=4.767, P〈0.001）; 3.1 and 1.6 months for a baseline testosterone of ≥0.1 and 〈0.1 ng m1-1, respectively （HR=2.865, P=0.012）; 2.8 and 1.9 months for a baseline haemoglobin of ≥ 120 and 〈120 g 1-1, respectively （HR= 1.605, P〈0.001）; and 3.0 and 1.9 months for a PSA doubling time （PSADT） of ≥ 2.0 and 〈2.0 months, respectively （HR= 1.454, P=-0.017）. A risk model was constructed according to the four factors that divided patients into three subgroups of low risk （0-1 factors）, moderate risk （2 factors） and high risk （3-4 factors） with PFS values of 3.6, 3.0 and 1.4 months, respectively （HR=1.619, P〈0.001）. A nadir PSA of ≥0.2 ng m1-1, a baseline testosterone of 〈0.1 ng m1-1, a baseline haemoglobin of 〈 120 g I- 1 and a PSADT of 〈2 months were associated with a poor PFS. This risk model could provide evidence to predict the survival benefit of ketoconazole therapy.

Practice patterns and outcomes of equivocal bone scans for patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer: Results from SEARCH

Objective:To review follow-up imaging after equivocal bone scans in men with castration resistant prostate cancer(CRPC)and examine the characteristics of equivocal bone scans that are associated with positive follow-up imaging.Methods:We identified 639 men from five Veterans Affairs Hospitals with a technetium-99m bone scan after CRPC diagnosis,of whom 99(15%)had equivocal scans.Men with equivocal scans were segregated into“high-risk”and“low-risk”subcategories based upon wording in the bone scan report.All follow-up imaging(bone scans,computed tomography[CT],magnetic resonance imaging[MRI],and X-rays)in the 3 months after the equivocal scan were reviewed.Variables were compared between patients with a positive vs.negative follow-up imaging after an equivocal bone scan.Results:Of 99 men with an equivocal bone scan,43(43%)received at least one follow-up imaging test,including 32/82(39%)with low-risk scans and 11/17(65%)with high-risk scans(p=0.052).Of follow-up tests,67%were negative,14%were equivocal,and 19%were positive.Among those who underwent follow-up imaging,3/32(9%)low-risk men had metastases vs.5/11(45%)high-risk men(p=0.015).Conclusion:While 19%of all men who received follow-up imaging had positive follow-up imaging,only 9%of those with a low-risk equivocal bone scan had metastases versus 45%of those with high-risk.These preliminary findings,if confirmed in larger studies,suggest follow-up imaging tests for low-risk equivocal scans can be delayed while high-risk equivocal scans should receive follow-up imaging.

Nonmetastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer: Novel agents to treat a lethal disease

Nonmetastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer(nmCRPC)-defined as prostate-specific antigen(PSA)>2 ng/mL,testosterone castration levels<1.7 nm/L,and the absence of metastatic lesions on conventional imaging(computed tomography or bone scan)-has been defined as a lethal disease by the Prostate Cancer Work Group.One-third of patients with prostate cancer who receive androgen deprivation therapy for biochemical recurrence after local treatment will develop CRPC,with death occurring an average of 2.5 years after diagnosis of castration resistance.Most patients diagnosed with nmCRPC are asymptomatic or minimally symptomatic at diagnosis due to local treatment.In patients with short PSA doubling times(<10 mo)and high baseline PSA levels,there is a high risk of bone metastases followed by prostate cancer-related mortality.These patients also present significant morbidity that negatively impacts quality of life(QoL).Recently,the results of three randomized trials(PROSPER,SPARTAN,and ARAMIS)were published.Those trials evaluated the efficacy of three different androgen receptor inhibitors-enzalutamide,apalutamide,and darolutamide-in patients with nmCRPC.In all three trials,the study drugs improved both metastasis-free survival and overall survival compared to placebo,plus on-going androgen deprivation therapy without a negative impact on QoL.In patients with nmCRPC,the most important clinical objective is early detection and treatment to maintain a low tumor burden and to prolong the symptom-free interval.For patients with nmCRPC,these novel drugs offer new hope for better QoL and survival outcomes.

End points of clinical trials in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer:A systematic review

AIM:To review the definition and performance of the commonly used end points in trials of systemic therapies in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer patients. METHODS: A literature search was undertaken on Pub Med database to identify studies meeting established criteria, with the aim of selecting randomized clinical trials and study definition and performance of their end points. The end points were grouped into three categories: overall survival(OS), time-to-event end points, and response end points. A special analysis was performed for secondary end points of the studies which documented a benefit in OS in the experimental arm. Finally, publishes analyses for surrogacy of the included end points were also reported.RESULTS: OS, time-to-event and response end points in 31 selected trials were analyzed. OS was the primary end point in 14 trials, and the secondary end point in 17. A time-to-event end point was the primaryend point in 8 studies, and the secondary end point in 22; the most reported time-to-event end points were composite end points, and the events changed among trials. A response end point was the primary end point in 9 studies, in 3 it was prostate-specific antigen(PSA)-related, in 3 pain-related and in 3 mixed. A response end point was the secondary end point in 19 studies: PSA response and radiologic response were the most frequently used secondary end points in 19 and 11 trials, respectively, while pain response was used in 5 studies.

Androgen receptor mediated resistance in the progression of castration-resistant prostate cancer

The incidence of prostate cancer has increased year by year in the world.Despite improvements in diagnosis,surgical techniques,and drugs,survival rates of prostate cancer have improved little,and most prostate cancer-related deaths are as a result of castration resistant prostate cancer(CRPC),which progresses and metastasizes after surgical or medical castration.The pathogenesis of CRPC is still unclear.It has been found that the majority of CRPC patients have overexpression of androgen receptors(ARs),and there are many forms of changes in the signaling pathways that intersect with them during he process to CRPC.Micro ribonucleic acid(miRNA)plays an important role in regulating the expression and translation of prostate cancer target genes,and in the life cycle of cell cycle distribution and apoptosis.Relatedly,active changes in miRNA expression are also closely related to androgen.Therefore,the study of AR-related signaling pathways and AR and miRNA-related signaling pathways is of great significance in the treatment of CRPC.

Radiotherapy of Oligoprogressive Lesions in Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer: Impact on Second-Generation Hormone Therapy

Background: The therapeutic standard for oligoprogressive prostate cancer resistant to castration is second-generation hormone therapy. This systemic treatment is expensive. There are oligoprogressive lesions accessible to radiotherapy. Objectives: To study the impact of radiotherapy of oligoprogressive lesions on the implementation of second generation hormone therapy. Patients and Methods: A retrospective study from 2012 to 2020 was carried out. All patients with oligoprogressive prostate cancer who had received radiotherapy on one or more lesions in progression were collated. Survival was calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Results: 8 patients were treated with stereotactic and conformational radiotherapy between August 2012 and August 2020 in the context of oligoprogressive prostate cancer resistant to castration. The median age at diagnosis of oligoprogression was 73 years with a median PSA level of 3.11 ng/ml. Nine lesions were diagnosed with PET scan PSMA. All the lesions were treated by radiotherapy with different regimens. After a median follow-up of 12.5 months, 7 patients showed a biochemical response to treatment with a median decrease in PSA of 67%. The median survival without clinical or biochemical progression was 7 months. The median survival without the need for further systemic treatment was 9 months. During the follow-up period, six patients received second-generation hormone therapy to treat their relapse, and the other two showed no clinical or biochemical relapse. Conclusion: Radiotherapy may be an alternative to delay the introduction of difficult-to-access second-generation hormone therapy in developing countries. A prospective study could validate this therapeutic approach.

Microwave triggered multifunctional nanoplatform for targeted photothermal-chemotherapy in castration-resistant prostate cancer

Lacking a precise targeting strategy,castration-resistant prostate cancer(CRPC)is still hard to be treat effectively.Exploring treatment options that can accurately target CPRC is an important issue with urgent need.In this study,a novel nanotechnologybased strategy had been developed for the precise target treatment of CRPC.By combining microwaves and photothermal therapy(PTT),this nanoplatform,cmHSP70-PL-AuNC-DOX,targets tumor tissues with outstanding precision and achieves better anti-tumor activity by simultaneously eliciting photothermal and chemotherapeutic effects.From nanotechnology,cmHSP70-modified and thermo-sensitive liposome-coated AuNC-DOX were prepared and used for CRPC-targeted photothermal ablation and chemotherapy.Doxorubicin(DOX)was selected as the chemotherapeutic agent for cytotoxicity.In terms of the curative scheme,prostate tissues were firstly pre-treated with microwaves to induce the expression of heat shock protein 70(HSP70)and its migration to the cell membrane,which was then targeted by HSP70 antibody(cmHSP70)coated on the nanoparticles to achieve accurate drug delivery.The nanoplatform then achieved precise ablation and controlled release of DOX under external near-infrared(NIR)irradiation.Through the implementation,the targeting,cell killing,and safety of this therapeutical strategy had been verified in vivo and in vitro.This work establishes an accurate,controllable,efficient,non-invasive,and safe treatment platform for targeting CRPC,provides a rational design for CRPC’s PTT,and offers new prospects for nanomedicines with great precision.

Relationships of body composition and adipocytokines with outcomes in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer patients receiving docetaxel chemotherapy

We evaluated the relationships of body composition and serum adipocytokine levels with progression-free survival(PFS)and overall survival(OS)in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer(mCRPC)patients receiving docetaxel.The medical records of mCRPC patients who received docetaxel between January 2011 and December 2015 at Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center(Shanghai,China)were reviewed.The following body composition parameters were calculated using computed tomography:skeletal muscle index(SMI),visceral adipose tissue index(VATI),and subcutaneous adipose tissue index(SATI).Pretreatment serum adipocytokine levels,including interleukin 6,insulin,leptin,monocyte chemoattractant protein-1,adiponectin,and resistin,were measured using the multiplex bead-based immunoassays.Cox regression and Kaplan–Meier methods were used for survival analyses.Of the 453 mCRPC patients initially identified,105 were included in the analysis.High VATI group patients had longer PFS(median,10 months vs 7 months,P=0.008)and OS(median,24 months vs 15 months,P=0.017),compared with low VATI group patients.SMI and SATI were not significantly associated with PFS or OS.Of the six detected adipocytokines,only leptin was associated with mCRPC prognosis.High leptin group patients had shorter PFS(median,7 months vs 12 months,P=0.0018)and OS(median,17 months vs 22 months,P=0.042),compared with low leptin group patients.Multivariate analysis showed that a high VATI was an independent protective factor for PFS and OS,while a high leptin level was an independent risk factor for PFS and OS.Therefore,VATI and serum leptin levels could provide important information concerning mCRPC prognosis.

The safety of radium-223 combined with new-generation hormonal agents in bone metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer: a systematic review and network meta-analysis

Patients with bone metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) might benefit from radium-223 (^(223)Ra) combined withnew-generation hormonal agents (NHAs) in terms of survival and quality of life (QoL). However, the safety of combination therapiesremains unclear. Therefore, we aimed to perform a network meta-analysis by reviewing the literature about the combination of^(223)Ra with abiraterone acetate plus prednisone (AAP) or enzalutamide and to evaluate the safety of combination therapy in bonemCRPC patients. Ultimately, ten studies (2835 patients) were selected, including four randomized controlled trials (RCTs), fiveretrospective cohort studies, and one single-arm study. Overall, there was no difference in the incidence of fracture between the^(223)Ra+NHA combination group and the ^(223)Ra monotherapy group (odds ratio [OR]: 1.46, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.91–2.34,P = 0.66), but the incidences in both the ^(223)Ra+NHA combination group (OR: 3.22, 95% CI: 2.24–4.63, P < 0.01) and the ^(223)Ramonotherapy group (OR: 2.24, 95% CI: 1.23–4.08, P < 0.01) were higher than that in the NHA monotherapy group. However, inthe meta-analysis involving only RCTs, there was no difference between the ^(223)Ra monotherapy group and the NHA monotherapygroup (OR: 1.14, 95% CI: 0.22–5.95, P = 0.88), while the difference between the ^(223)Ra+NHA combination group and the NHAmonotherapy group remained significant (OR: 3.22, 95% CI: 2.24–4.63, P < 0.01). Symptomatic skeletal events (SSEs), SSE-freesurvival (SSE-FS), all grades of common adverse events (AEs), and ≥grade 3 AEs among all groups did not show any significantdifference. Our results indicate that the combination of ^(223)Ra with NHAs was well tolerated in bone mCRPC patients compared to ^(223)Ra monotherapy, even though the incidence of fracture was higher in patients who received ^(223)Ra than that among those whoreceived NHA monotherapy. More evidence is needed to explore the safety and efficiency of ^(223)Ra combination therapies.

Abrogation of Hn RNP L enhances anti-PD-1 therapy efficacy via diminishing PD-L1 and promoting CD8^(+) T cell-mediated ferroptosis in castration-resistant prostate cancer

Owing to incurable castration-resistant prostate cancer(CRPC)ultimately developing after treating with androgen deprivation therapy(ADT),it is vital to devise new therapeutic strategies to treat CRPC.Treatments that target programmed cell death protein 1(PD-1)and programmed death ligand-1(PD-L1)have been approved for human cancers with clinical benefit.However,many patients,especially prostate cancer,fail to respond to anti-PD-1/PD-L1 treatment,so it is an urgent need to seek a support strategy for improving the traditional PD-1/PD-L1 targeting immunotherapy.In the present study,analyzing the data from our prostate cancer tissue microarray,we found that PD-L1 expression was positively correlated with the expression of heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein L(Hn RNP L).Hence,we further investigated the potential role of Hn RNP L on the PD-L1 expression,the sensitivity of cancer cells to T-cell killing and the synergistic effect with anti-PD-1 therapy in CRPC.Indeed,Hn RNP L knockdown effectively decreased PD-L1 expression and recovered the sensitivity of cancer cells to T-cell killing in vitro and in vivo,on the contrary,Hn RNP L overexpression led to the opposite effect in CRPC cells.In addition,consistent with the previous study,we revealed that ferroptosis played a critical role in T-cell-induced cancer cell death,and Hn RNP L promoted the cancer immune escape partly through targeting YY1/PD-L1 axis and inhibiting ferroptosis in CRPC cells.Furthermore,Hn RNP L knockdown enhanced antitumor immunity by recruiting infiltrating CD8^(+)T cells and synergized with anti-PD-1 therapy in CRPC tumors.This study provided biological evidence that Hn RNP L knockdown might be a novel therapeutic agent in PD-L1/PD-1 blockade strategy that enhanced anti-tumor immune response in CRPC.

Understanding prostate-specific antigen dynamics in monitoring metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer： implications for clinical practice

Availability of novel hormonal therapies as well as docetaxel and cabazitaxel treatment for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer （CRPC） has changed the outlook for this group of patients with improvements in progression-free survival and overall survival. Physicians often diagnose the progression of prostate cancer using serum prostate-specific antigen （PSA）. However, serum PSA is not always correlated with the clinical status in CRPC. To evaluate the PSA dynamics with greater precision, understanding of the control of PSA and of the mechanisms of development of CRPC is needed. Moreover, it is necessary to use new hormonal therapies with an appropriate timing to optimally improve the prognosis and the QOL of the patients. In the present review, we ascertain the PSA dynamics and the mechanisms of the development of CRPC to assist in optimal utilization of the new treatments for mCRPC.

Prognostic value of ECOG performance status and Gleason score in the survival of castration-resistant prostate cancer:a systematic review

Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group(ECOG)performance status and Gleason score are commonly investigated factors for overall survival(OS)in men with castration-resistant prostate cancer(CRPC).However,there is a lack of consistency regarding their prognostic or predictive value for OS.Therefore,we performed this meta-analysis to assess the associations of ECOG performance status and Gleason score with OS in CRPC patients and compare the two markers in patients under different treatment regimens or with different chemotherapy histories.A systematic literature review of monotherapy studies in CRPC patients was conducted in the PubMed database until May 2019.The data from 8247 patients in 34 studies,including clinical trials and real-world data,were included in our meta-analysis.Of these,twenty studies reported multivariate results and were included in our main analysis.CRPC patients with higher ECOG performance statuses(≥2)had a significantly increased mortality risk than those with lower ECOG performance statuses(<2),hazard ratio(HR):2.10,95%confidence interval(CI):1.68-2.62,and P<0.001.The synthesized HR of OS stratified by Gleason score was 1.01,with a 95%CI of 0.62-1.67(Gleason score≥8 vs<8).Subgroup analysis showed that there was no significant difference in pooled HRs for patients administered taxane chemotherapy(docetaxel and cabazitaxel)and androgen-targeting therapy(abiraterone acetate and enzalutamide)or for patients with different chemotherapy histories.ECOG performance status was identified as a significant prognostic factor in CRPC patients,while Gleason score showed a weak prognostic value for OS based on the available data in our meta-analysis.

Taxane resistance in castration-resistant prostate cancer: mechanisms and therapeutic strategies

Despite its good initial response and significant survival benefit in patients with castrationresistant prostate cancer(CRPC), taxane therapy inevitably encounters drug resistance in all patients.Deep understandings of taxane resistant mechanisms can significantly facilitate the development of new therapeutic strategies to overcome taxane resistance and improve CRPC patient survival. Multiple pathways of resistance have been identified as potentially crucial areas of intervention. First, taxane resistant tumor cells typically have mutated microtubule binding sites, varying tubulin isotype expression,and upregulation of efflux transporters. These mechanisms contribute to reducing binding affinity and availability of taxanes. Second, taxane resistant tumors have increased stem cell like characteristics,indicating higher potential for further mutation in response to therapy. Third, the androgen receptor pathway is instrumental in the proliferation of CRPC and multiple hypotheses leading to this pathway reactivation have been reported. The connection of this pathway to the AKT pathway has received significant attention due to the upregulation of phosphorylated AKT in CRPC. This review highlights recent advances in elucidating taxane resistant mechanisms and summarizes potential therapeutic strategies for improved treatment of CRPC.