Combining 153Sm-lexidronam and docetaxel for the treatment of patients with hormone-refractory prostate cancer: first experience.

PURPOSE: 153Sm-lexidronam has been used for the palliation of symptoms from painful bone metastases for years, while docetaxel has recently been shown to improve the survival of patients with hormone-refractory prostate cancer (HRPC). The first clinical experience with the combination of both treatment modalities is reported. METHODS: Between 2005 and 2006, 12 patients with muliple bone metastases from HRPC were treated with a single application of 37 MBq/kg body weight 153Sm-lexidronam and 6 weekly infusions of 35 mg/m2 docetaxel. Data on survival, prostate-specific antigen (PSA) response, symptom palliation, toxicity, and scintigraphic follow-up are provided. RESULTS: Mean follow-up was 11.4 (range, 1.1-25.8) months, overall 1-year survival was 48.6%, and median survival was 11.5 months. A PSA response of >50% was documented in 50% of patients. The average pain score (visual analog scale: 1-10) was reduced from 5.1 to 1.4 (p = 0.016) with decrease of > or =2 in 58.3% of patients. The average World Health Organization medication level dropped from 1.6 to 1.1 (p = 0.5). Overall toxicity was moderate, but 1 patient died due to neutropenic sepsis. CONCLUSIONS: Our analysis demonstrates feasibility and therapeutic potential for the combination treatment and merits prospective investigation. Further studies will be planned with respect to the potentially synergistic hematologic toxicity of bone-seeking radiopharmaceuticals and chemotherapy.