Quality of life and pain relief during treatment with calcitriol and docetaxel in symptomatic metastatic androgen-independent prostate carcinoma

✍ Scribed by Tomasz M. Beer; Kristine M. Eilers; Mark Garzotto; Yi-Ching Hsieh; Motomi Mori

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2004
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 127 KB
• Volume: 100
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0008-543X
• DOI: 10.1002/cncr.20024

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

BACKGROUND

The current study evaluated the analgesic activity and impact on quality of life (QOL) of a new chemotherapy regimen of calcitriol and docetaxel in men with androgen‐independent prostate carcinoma.

METHODS

Analgesic response was defined as a 2‐point reduction on the Present Pain Intensity (PPI) scale (or compete relief if baseline PPI was 1) without an increase in analgesic use or a 50% decrease in analgesic medication use without an increase in pain, maintained for ≥ 4 weeks. Pain, pain medication consumption, and QOL (measured by the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer QLQ‐C30) were evaluated every 4 weeks.

RESULTS

Treatment resulted in an analgesic response in 14 of 29 evaluable patients (48%; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 30–67%). The median time to symptomatic progression in the 14 patients who met criteria for analgesic response was 41 weeks (95% CI, 26–56 weeks). Worsening in physical and role functioning, fatigue, appetite, and global health status and improvement in constipation were detected using the QLQ‐C30 QOL questionnaire.

CONCLUSIONS

Significant analgesic activity was demonstrated, although worsening in several QOL domains was observed in a patient population with relatively low pain intensity (median PPI, 2). Cancer 2004;100:758–63. © 2004 American Cancer Society.