Abiraterone Effective for Chemotherapy-Naive Prostate Cancer Patients

Our understanding of the molecular biology of the androgen receptor has led to several important therapeutic developments during the last decade, including abiraterone acetate, a selective inhibitor of CYP17, a cytochrome P450 enzyme that is critical to androgen and estrogen synthesis. In a prior study (JW Oncol Hematol May 25 2011), the final analysis showed that men with castration-resistant, metastatic prostate cancer (CRMPC) who experienced disease progression after docetaxel chemotherapy achieved longer median overall survival (OS) with abiraterone plus prednisone than with placebo plus prednisone (15.8 months vs. 11.2 months; P<0.0001).

Now, to assess the use of abiraterone acetate before chemotherapy in CRMPC patients, investigators c…