Dr. Sweeney Discusses Tailoring Treatment in Prostate Cancer

Christopher Sweeney, MBBS, medical oncologist, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, discusses tailoring treatment to individual patients with prostate cancer.

A big question regarding the treatment of prostate cancer is the cost of the therapies. For example, 6 cycles of docetaxel—including cost of drug and infusion—is about $10,000, compared to 1 month of therapy with abiraterone acetate (Zytiga), which is about $8,000. What a patient may pay depends on their copays and out-of-pocket costs. This makes it a very complicated financial proposition, says Sweeney, especially considering patients can be on these therapies for up to 3 years.

This is something that may come up when talking to patient, so tailoring treatment options to the patients is important, explains Sweeney. Either docetaxel or abiraterone is appropriate for patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer, but factors such as treatment burden, ability to receive the agent, and cost of therapy to the patient and institution, must be taken into account.