Battling prostate cancer: new treatment shows promise
Talazoparib is a drug in the class called “PARP inhibitors” that have been shown to be effective in treating advanced cancers, particularly in carriers of BRCA and other DNA repair genetic variants. Enzalutamide is a second-generation form of hormonal therapy frequently used to treat patients who no longer respond to traditional hormone therapy.
Doctors have been studying new treatment regimens for a type of prostate cancer called metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). The treatment combines two drugs: talazoparib and enzalutamide. These drugs are used to block multiple biological pathways that stimulate the unchecked growth of cancer cells.
In the study, men with mCRPC received both talazoparib and enzalutamide, while others received only enzalutamide to determine how long it took for cancer to get worse, called radiographic progression-free survival (rPFS).
The group that received both talazoparib and enzalutamide fared better than those treated with enzalutamide alone.
The most common side effects of talazoparib were anemia, low white blood cell count (neutropenia), and fatigue.
Further research is needed to determine the benefits of talazoparib, also whether it is more effective for people with certain genetic changes that interfere with normal DNA repair mechanisms. This new combination therapy shows promise in the fight against metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer.
Agarwal, Journal of Clinical Oncology 41, no. 6_suppl (February 20, 2023) LBA17-LBA17. DOI: 10.1200/JCO.2023.41.6_suppl.LBA17.
