Site Editor
Sandy Srinivas, MD
Sandy Srinivas, MD
Posted: Thursday, June 15, 2023
Results from the parallel-cohort, multicentered, prospective PANTHER study suggested that Black patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer may have improved overall survival compared with White patients when treated with a combination of apalutamide and abiraterone acetate plus prednisone. Additionally, Daniel J. George, MD, FASCO, of Duke Cancer Institute Center for Prostate and Urologic Cancers, Durham, North Carolina, and colleagues reported that Black patients showed greater declines in prostate-specific antibody (PSA) levels than did their White counterparts. These findings were presented at the 2023 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting (Abstract 5015).
“Without a larger percentage of Black participants, you would not pick up this important signal that Black [patients] benefit differently than White [patients],” said Dr. George in a Duke Health press release. “You can’t assume that a lack of benefit in White patients applies to Black [patients].”
The study included Black and White patients with androgen receptor pathway inhibitor–naive metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. Patients were treated with oral apalutamide (240 mg/day), abiraterone (1,000 mg/day), and prednisone (10 mg/day) continuously until they experienced disease progression or unacceptable toxicity, or until the 2-year mark. The primary endpoint was radiographic progression–free survival. The secondary endpoints were estimated time to PSA disease progression, overall survival, and best PSA response among all patients.
A total of 43 Black and 50 White patients were enrolled in the study from eight sites between July 2017 and January 2021. An interim analysis reported 18 and 36 radiographic progression–free survival events in Black and White patients, respectively. After follow-up, 15 (14%) Black patients died, compared with 30 (33%) White patients. The PSA response time declined in 21 (49%) Black patients and in 14 (28%) White patients. Additionally, Black patients had a median progression-free survival of 30 months compared with 15 months in White patients.
Disclosure: For full disclosures of the study authors, visit coi.asco.org.
Resources
For your Patients
