The Early Prostate Cancer program: bicalutamide in nonmetastatic prostate cancer

Abstract

The Early Prostate Cancer program is investigating the addition of bicalutamide 150 mg to standard care for localized or locally advanced, nonmetastatic prostate cancer. The third program analysis, at 7.4 years’ median follow-up, has shown that bicalutamide 150 mg does not benefit patients with localized disease, but does confer significant progression-free survival benefits in patients with locally advanced disease, irrespective of standard care received. In patients receiving radiotherapy for locally advanced disease, bicalutamide 150 mg significantly reduced the risk of death by 35%; the magnitude of this benefit compares favorably with that of adjuvant luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone agonist therapy in a similar population. Bicalutamide 150 mg represents an alternative to castration for patients with locally advanced disease who wish to avoid the side effects associated with castration.

Keywords::

• adjuvant hormonal therapy
• bicalutamide
• nonsteroidal antiandrogen
• overall survival
• prostate cancer
• radical prostatectomy
• radiotherapy
• watchful waiting

Financial & competing interests disclosure

Peter Iversen is an investigator for AstraZeneca-sponsored studies and serves as a paid consultant and lecturer for AstraZeneca. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

Writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript. We thank Sharon Gladwin from Complete Medical Communications, who provided medical writing support funded by AstraZeneca.