UH Seidman Cancer Center Researchers Find Real World Data Can Inform Care for Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer

• Data was used from Veterans Affairs health system
• Patients who were retreated with docetaxel had longer overall survival compared with those who switched to cabazitaxel
• Findings were published in JAMA Network Open

CLEVELAND – A common clinical question for medical oncologists treating metastatic castration- resistant prostate cancer is, Should patients who previously received docetaxel and progress on it, reuse docetaxel or switch to cabazitaxel when another taxane is needed? Findings from a new study published in JAMA Network Open give more insight into the question.

“This is an important topic because no randomized trials have directly compared these approaches in this specific setting, leaving a gap in evidence to guide real-world treatment decisions,” said co -first author Pedro Barata, MD,m.Sc, a medical oncologist at UH Seidman Cancer Center and Miggo Family Chair in Cancer Research.

Using real-world data from the Veterans Affairs health system, they found that patients who were retreated with docetaxel had longer overall survival compared with those who switched to cabazitaxel. Patients receiving docetaxel also appeared to have fewer supportive-care needs, suggesting differences not only in survival but also in treatment burden.

These findings provide much-needed evidence in a clinical scenario where randomized trials are unlikely to be performed. The study shows that real-world data can meaningfully inform cancer care and challenges the assumption that switching therapies is always the best option after prior chemotherapy, emphasizing instead the importance of prior response and patient selection.

Clinically, this study gives physicians and patients another evidence-based option to consider.

For selected patients who previously tolerated and benefited from docetaxel, retreatment is:

• clinically appropriate
• does not compromise outcomes
• potentially reduces supportive-care needs
• allows for more personalized treatment discussions

For complete study: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2844039