ABSTRACT
Objective: To analyze potential factors affecting the outcomes of docetaxel and prednisone (DP) combination therapy in patients with castration resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). Methods: A total of 272 patients were treated with DP chemotherapy for CRPC between April 2006 and January 2014. Patients received docetaxel (75 mg/m2) administered as ≥1-h intravenous infusion on day 1, every 3 weeks plus oral prednisone 5 mg twice daily starting on day 1 and continuing throughout the treatment. Patients were evaluated for prostate specific antigen (PSA) response, toxicity and factors affecting the treatment outcomes. Results: 132 (48.6%) patients achieved a PSA response (47 complete and 85 partial response). There were no differences between PSA responders and PSA non-responders in terms of age, gleason score, initial PSA value and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status. Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) level of non-responders was significantly higher compared to PSA responders (p= 0.042), total serum protein levels (p=0.035) and albumin (p=0.012) were significantly lower in non-responder group. Median survival rate of PSA responders was significantly higher compared to PSA non-responders (19 months vs 14 months, p= 0.000). The most common grade 3-4 toxicity of chemotherapy was neutropenia which was observed in 95 (34.7%) patients. Conclusions: Serum ALP, total protein and albumin levels can be used to predict treatment outcomes following docetaxel and prednisone combination therapy in patients with CRPC.