Can Docetaxel (Taxotere) cure biochemical recurrence (BCR) of prostate cancer?

From the Research

Biochemical Recurrence of Prostate Cancer

• Biochemical recurrence (BCR) of prostate cancer refers to the recurrence of the disease after initial treatment, characterized by a rise in prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels.
• The management of BCR is crucial to prevent the progression of the disease to metastatic cancer.

Role of Docetaxel in Treating BCR

• Docetaxel (Taxotere) is a chemotherapy drug that has been shown to be effective in treating advanced prostate cancer, including metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) 1, 2.
• However, its role in treating BCR is still being investigated.
• A phase 3 randomized controlled trial (TAX3503) found that adding docetaxel to androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) did not demonstrate a meaningful benefit in patients with high-risk BCR 3.
• Another study (STAMPEDE) found that adding upfront docetaxel to ADT improved overall survival for prostate cancer patients starting long-term ADT, but the long-term results for non-metastatic patients showed no good evidence of an advantage to ADT plus docetaxel on metastatic progression-free survival (mPFS) 4.

Mechanism of Action of Docetaxel

• Docetaxel has been shown to activate the antitumoral immune response and facilitate T cell infiltration in a cGAS/STING-dependent manner, providing a combination immunotherapy strategy that could improve the clinical benefits of immunotherapy 5.
• Docetaxel-based chemohormonal therapy has been found to induce immunologic changes and potentiate checkpoint blockade immunotherapy in prostate cancer 5.

Conclusion on Docetaxel's Ability to Cure BCR

• Based on the available evidence, it appears that docetaxel may not be able to cure BCR of prostate cancer on its own.
• However, it may still have a role in the management of BCR, particularly when combined with other therapies such as ADT or immunotherapy 3, 4, 5.