Chemoprevention of prostate cancer in men at high risk: rationale and design of the reduction by dutasteride of prostate cancer events (REDUCE) trial.

PURPOSE: Chemoprevention may significantly impact the natural history of prostate cancer. The most potent intraprostatic androgen, dihydrotestosterone, has a significant role in the pathophysiology of prostate cancer. It represents a biologically plausible target for chemoprevention through the inhibition of 5alpha-reductase isoenzymes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The Reduction by Dutasteride of Prostate Cancer Events clinical trial is an international, multicenter, double-blind, placebo controlled chemoprevention study designed to determine if dutasteride 0.5 mg daily decreases the risk of biopsy detectable prostate cancer. A total of 8,000 men will be randomized to receive dutasteride or placebo for 4 years. Eligible men must be 50 to 75 years old, have a serum prostate specific antigen of 2.5 to 10 ng/ml (ages 50 to 60 years) or 3.0 to 10 ng/ml (older than 60 years). Men must have a negative 6 to 12 core biopsy within 6 months prior to enrollment. Repeat biopsies will be taken at 2 and 4 years. The rates of prostate cancer for each treatment group will be compared. Genetic and protein biomarkers of prostate cancer, and the effect of dutasteride on benign prostatic hyperplasia and prostatitis symptomatology and histopathology will also be assessed. RESULTS: Results remain to be determined. CONCLUSIONS: The study will examine the effects of the dual 5alpha-reductase inhibitor dutasteride on the natural history of prostate cancer in men at increased risk for this malignancy. It affords a unique opportunity to examine biomarkers and genetic linkage for prostate cancer, and assess a range of prostate health outcome measures.

Multicenter phase II study of a 28-day regimen of orally administered eniluracil and fluorouracil in the treatment of patients with anthracycline- and taxane-resistant advanced breast cancer.

PURPOSE: Eniluracil (776C85), a potent inactivator of dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase, allows fluorouracil (5-FU) to be administered orally on a schedule that simulates continuous-infusion 5-FU. The primary objective of this study was to estimate the objective tumor response rate of orally administered eniluracil and 5-FU in the treatment of anthracycline- and taxane-resistant advanced breast cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients with anthracycline- and taxane-resistant advanced breast cancer were enrolled onto this open-label, phase II, multicenter study. Patients received orally administered 5-FU 1.0 mg/m(2) with eniluracil given in a 10:1 ratio (eniluracil:5-FU) twice daily for the first 28 days of each 35-day cycle. RESULTS: Eighty-four patients were enrolled. Eight partial responses were observed in 84 patients (10%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 4.2% to 17.9%), and 20 patients (24%) had stable disease. The median duration of partial response was 20.1 weeks (95% CI, 12 to 26.7 weeks). The median duration of progression-free survival and overall survival for all patients was 9.9 weeks and 40.4 weeks, respectively. Most adverse events were grade 1 or 2 in intensity. Diarrhea, nausea, malaise/fatigue, vomiting, and mucositis were the most common treatment-related nonhematologic adverse events. The most frequently occurring grade 3 or 4 treatment-related adverse events were malaise/fatigue and diarrhea, occurring in 17% and 7% of patients, respectively. The incidence of grade 3 or 4 hematologic toxicity was low. Grade 3 or 4 hyperbilirubinemia occurred in 17% of patients. CONCLUSION: Eniluracil-5-FU has modest antitumor activity and an acceptable safety profile in anthracycline- and taxane-resistant breast cancer. Treatment was convenient, and patient compliance was high.