Combination of docetaxel versus nonsteroidal antiandrogen with androgen deprivation therapy for high-volume metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer: a propensity score-matched analysis

Purpose The aim of this study was to investigate the oncologic efficacy of combining docetaxel with androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) versus nonsteroidal antiandrogen (NSAA) with ADT in patients with high-volume metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (mHSPC) with focus on the effect of sequential therapy in a real-world clinical practice setting. Methods The records of 382 patients who harbored high-volume mHSPC, based on the CHAARTED criteria, and had received ADT with either docetaxel ( n = 92) or NSAA (bicalutamide) ( n = 290) were retrospectively analyzed. The cohorts were matched by one-to-one propensity scores based on patient demographics. Overall survival (OS), cancer-specific survival (CSS), progression-free survival (PFS), including time to castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC), and time to second-line progression (PFS2) were compared. 2nd-line PFS defined as the time from CRPC diagnosis to progression after second-line therapy was also compared. Results After matching, a total of 170 patients were retained: 85 patients treated with docetaxel + ADT and 85 patients treated with NSAA + ADT. The median OS and CSS for docetaxel + ADT versus NSAA + ADT were not reached (NR) vs. 49 months ( p = 0.02) and NR vs. 55 months ( p = 0.02), respectively. Median time to CRPC and PFS2 in patients treated with docetaxel + ADT was significantly longer compared to those treated with NSAA (22 vs. 12 months; p = 0.003 and, NR vs. 28 months; p < 0.001, respectively). There was no significant difference in 2nd-line PFS between the two groups. Conclusions Our analysis suggested that ADT with docetaxel significantly prolonged OS and CSS owing to a better time to CRPC and PFS2 in comparison to NSAA + ADT in high-volume mHSPC.