Dr. Azad on Unmet Needs in Metastatic Hormone-Sensitive Prostate Cancer

Arun Azad, PhD, an associate professor at Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and the University of Melbourne; fellow at Victorian Cancer Agency; and chair of the ANZUP Cancer Trials Group Translational, discusses unmet needs for men with metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (mHSPC).

The management of patients with mHSPC has changed considerably in the past 5 years, says Azad. In addition to androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), the field now has strong evidence indicating that the use of docetaxel chemotherapy or 1 of the androgen receptor antagonists improves survival, adds Azad.

At the same time, this disease remains lethal for most patients, says Azad. Additional strategies are needed to further improve outcomes. These approaches could include new combinations, the addition of novel drugs to existing drugs, a better selection of existing drugs, treatment of the primary disease itself, and the identification of biomarkers, adds Azad.

Ultimately, the biggest untapped resource is using agents that are already in the arsenal, according to Azad. Data have read out in the United Kingdom, the United States, and Australia and show that the vast majority of patients are not getting access to these ne​wer therapeutic strategies. They are still being treated with ADT alone.

It is known that this results in an undertreatment of the vast majority of patients with mHSPC, says Azad. Implementing clinical trial data into real-world practice is a key unmet need for these patients, concludes Azad.