BJU Int. 2007; published online ahead of print
High-dose calcitriol and docetaxel, each given separately one day a week for six weeks, appear to be an effective and well-tolerated combination for men living with metastatic hormone-refractory prostate cancer (HRPC) previously treated with docetaxel-based chemotherapy, Italian investigators conclude.
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Noting that no standard salvage therapy is available for such patients, the researchers hypothesized that high-dose calcitriol might restore sensitivity to chemotherapy.
Roberto Petrioli, MD, and his colleagues at the University of Siena studied 26 patients who had progressed after first-line treatment with docetaxel-based chemother-apy had failed. Treatment cycles consisted of calcitriol (32 µg orally as 0.5 µg tablets) on day 1 and docetaxel (30 mg/m2 IV) on day 2, ad-ministered for six consecutive weeks followed by a two-week rest inter-val for a maximum of 24 cycles.
PSA levels declined in eight patients (31%) and remained stable in seven patients (27%) for at least 12 weeks, the researchers reported.
