Use of a combination of docetaxel (Tautax and Taxotere) and etoposide plus prednisolone versus docetaxel monotherapy in the treatment of patients with hormone-resistant prostate cancer

Abstract

The efficacy and safety of a combination of docetaxel and etoposide plus prednisolone versus docetaxel monotherapy were studied in patients with hormone-resistant prostate cancer. The patients were divided into 2 groups: 1) 24 patients received docetaxel 75 mg/m2 once every 3 weeks + prednisolone 10 mg/day; 2) 21 patients used docetaxel 75 mg/m2 once every 3 weeks + prednisolone 10 mg/day + intravenous etoposide 100 mg/m2 on days 1 to 5. The patients' age ranged from 45 to 81 years (mean age 64.9 years). The study has shown that docetaxel monotherapy has benefits in terms of treatment response duration, overall survival, and satisfactory therapy tolerability.