AACR II: Is Grape Seed Extract of Benefit to Men With Prostate Cancer?
Posted: Tuesday, June 30, 2020
Paul Maroni, MD, of the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, and colleagues investigated the safety and efficacy of grape seed extract in patients with prostate cancer who experienced nonmetastatic prostate-specific antigen (PSA) disease progression after maximum local therapy. The results of this phase II trial, which were presented during the 2020 American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Virtual Annual Meeting II (Abstract CT207), suggest that “300 mg of daily grape seed extract may improve PSA kinetics in patients with a rising PSA after maximum local therapy.”
A total of 20 patients were enrolled and received the experimental treatment. To be enrolled, patients were required to have a baseline PSA of at least 0.2 ng/mL, increased PSA levels on two separate occasions, and no evidence of disease metastases. Over the course of 12 months, the patients were administered 150 mg of an oral grape seed extract formulation twice daily. PSA levels were assessed at baseline; 6 weeks; and 3, 6, 9, and 12 months after treatment initiation. Patients were required to withdraw early if they experienced clinical or radiographic disease progression, or a PSA doubling time of less than 3 months (n = 8). Follow-up data for 12 months were provided for the remaining 12 patients.
Grape seed extract was well tolerated, and it did not appear to be associated with any major toxicities. According to the investigators, the mean PSA doubling time increased after experimental treatment (5.4 vs. 6.4 months). A total of nine patients experienced a PSA doubling time increase of 30% of more.
Disclosure: The study authors reported no conflicts of interest.
