Treatment of androgen-independent hormone refractory prostate cancer using docetaxel

Although prostate cancer patients with metastatic lesion initially respond to androgen ablation therapy, almost patients develop to hormone-refractory states. The optimal treatment for men with hormone refractory prostate cancer (HRPC) has not been established. Docetaxel is a semisynthetic taxane that inhibit tumor growth by induction of microtubule stabilization and promotion of bcl-2 inactivation, which induce apoptosis. Docetaxel as single agent has significant anti-tumor effect in HRPC patients. Docetaxel combined with estramustine or other antimicrotubular agents have shown further significant cytotoxicity in HRPC patients. In the United States, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved docetaxel, injection in combination with prednisone for the treatment of patients with advanced metastatic prostate cancer in 2004.