Oral fenretinide in biochemically recurrent prostate cancer: a California cancer consortium phase II trial.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Fenretinide is a synthetic retinoid that is cytotoxic to a variety of cancers. We conducted a phase II trial of oral fenretinide in patients with biochemically recurrent prostate cancer.

PATIENTS AND METHODS:

Eligible patients had histologically confirmed prostate cancer and a confirmed rising prostate-specific antigen (PSA) >or= 2 ng/mL following either radical prostatectomy and/or pelvic radiation therapy, without clinical or radiographic evidence of metastasis. The primary endpoint was PSA response, which was defined as a confirmed decrease by >or=50%, and >or=5 ng/mL, from the pretreatment value. Treatment comprised oral fenretinide 900 mg/m2 twice daily for 1 week, every 3 weeks, for 1 year.

RESULTS:

After a median follow-up of 17.7 months, out of 23 patients, 7 (30%) patients had PSA stable disease (SD), 11 (48%) patients had PSA progression within 3 months, 4 patients had minimal increases over 3 months that did not qualify as SD or progression (17%), and one patient (4%) was not evaluable. Median time to PSA progression was 4.6 months (95% CI, 3.2-8.2 months). Observed grade 3 toxicities included fatigue, pain, hypermagnesemia, a rise in lipase, and nyctalopia.

CONCLUSION:

Although well-tolerated, oral fenretinide did not meet prespecified PSA criteria for response in biochemically recurrent prostate cancer; however, 30% of patients had SD, which suggests modest single-agent clinical activity. The role of different formulations of fenretinide, which might allow for higher serum concentrations of the drug, is currently under investigation.

• Authors: Eric Cheung, Jacek Pinski, Tanya Dorff, Susan Groshen, David I Quinn, C Patrick Reynolds, Barry J Maurer, Primo N Lara Jr, Denice D Tsao-Wei, Przemyslaw Twardowski, Gurkamal Chatta, Mark McNamara, David R Gandara
• Journal: Clinical genitourinary cancer (Clin Genitourin Cancer) Vol. 7 Issue 1 Pg. 43-50 (Jan 2009) ISSN: 1558-7673 [Print] United States
• PMID: 19213668 (Publication Type: Clinical Trial, Phase II, Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Androgen Antagonists
• Antineoplastic Agents
• Fenretinide

Topics

• Adenocarcinoma (drug therapy, secondary, surgery)
• Aged
• Aged, 80 and over
• Androgen Antagonists (therapeutic use)
• Antineoplastic Agents (therapeutic use)
• Disease Progression
• Fenretinide (therapeutic use)
• Humans
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Neoplasm Recurrence, Local (drug therapy, pathology, surgery)
• Neoplasm Staging
• Prostatectomy
• Prostatic Neoplasms (drug therapy, pathology, surgery)
• Treatment Outcome