| Can high-dose vitamin D, a naturally occurring | | | | • Prostate cancer is the third-leading cause of |
| hormone, improve an advanced prostate cancer | | | | cancer death in men, after lung cancer and colorectal |
| patient's treatment with chemotherapy? That is what | | | | cancer, and |
| researchers in the United States, Canada and Europe | | | | • This year, more than 234,460 men will be |
| are trying to determine. | | | | diagnosed with, and an estimated 27,350 men will die |
| For 20 years, scientists have explored the role of | | | | from, prostate cancer in the United States. |
| vitamin D in the prevention, treatment and reduction | | | | Prostate cancer occurs when cells within the prostate |
| of cancer and other autoimmune diseases. However, | | | | grow uncontrollably, producing multiple small tumors. |
| they all encountered the same problem-they could | | | | At this stage, the disease is often curable with |
| not administer enough vitamin D to fight the disease | | | | standard treatments such as surgery or radiation that |
| without causing severe toxicity. | | | | aim to remove or kill all cancerous cells in the |
| The promise of vitamin D to treat cancer was almost | | | | prostate. Unfortunately, at this stage, the cancer |
| shelved until researchers at Oregon Health & Science | | | | produces few or no symptoms and can be difficult |
| University and Novacea, a biopharmaceutical | | | | to detect. |
| company, were able to develop a highly concentrated | | | | If untreated and allowed to grow, the cancerous cells |
| form of calcitriol, a derivative of vitamin D, that had | | | | from the tumors can spread in a process called |
| the potential to be administered safely to patients. | | | | metastasis. In this process, prostate cancer cells are |
| Now, a clinical study is under way investigating | | | | transported through the lymphatic system and the |
| Asentar in the treatment of advanced prostate | | | | bloodstream to other parts of the body, where they |
| cancer. Patients take Asentar, which comes in a small | | | | can reside and grow as secondary tumors. Once |
| capsule, the day before their next Taxotere(R) | | | | cancerous cells begin to spread beyond the prostate, |
| (docetaxel) chemotherapy treatment. Researchers | | | | the prostate cancer is considered to be recurrent. |
| will monitor patients to see if Asentar may help | | | | Recurrent prostate cancer that progresses while a |
| patients to live longer while reducing some of the | | | | patient is taking hormonal therapy is called |
| side effects caused by chemotherapy, such as blood | | | | androgen-independent prostate cancer (AIPC). At this |
| clots and fractures. | | | | stage in the disease, the cancer has generally |
| "This is a new and interesting approach to treat | | | | metastasized (spread) to a patient's bones and/or |
| prostate cancer patients whose disease has | | | | lymph nodes. For AIPC patients, a combination of |
| progressed and who currently have limited treatment | | | | docetaxel and prednisone, approved by the FDA for |
| options," said Luke T. Nordquist, M.D. of Nebraska | | | | treatment of AIPC with a two-month survival |
| Methodist Hospital, Omaha, Neb. "The previous Phase | | | | benefit, has shown to prolong the lives of these |
| 2 results showed that Asentar appeared to improve | | | | patients. Some of the other chemotherapy drugs |
| survival while reducing some of the serious side | | | | used to treat prostate cancer include doxorubicin, |
| effects of chemotherapy, an important finding that | | | | etoposide, vinblastine, paclitaxel and carboplatin. |
| surprised many researchers and called for further | | | | Researchers at approximately 200 medical centers in |
| clinical evaluations." | | | | the United States, Canada and Europe are seeking to |
| All patients in the study will receive chemotherapy | | | | evaluate the potential survival and safety benefits of |
| treatment with docetaxel. In addition to docetaxel, | | | | Asentar in combination with docetaxel in a |
| half of the patients will receive prednisone (part of | | | | 900-patient Phase 3 clinical trial, known as ASCENT-2. |
| the FDA-approved docetaxel regimen) and the other | | | | Asentar is an investigational new drug currently in |
| half will receive the investigational agent, Asentar. | | | | clinical trials and has not been approved by the U.S. |
| According to the American Cancer Society: | | | | Food and Drug Administration. |