CYP17 inhibitor in the treatment of metastatic hormone prostate cancer as second-line therapy in patients with disease progression after chemotherapy

Treating patients with hormone-refractory prostate cancer is currently one of the most challenging areas of oncology. Unfortunately conventional chemotherapy failed to demonstrate promising outcomes, and this challenge requires further research. The testosterone level of 20-50 ng/dL remaining after castration has been proved to potentially cause prostate cancer progression, whereas only suppression of testosterone levels to the values as low as 1-2 ng/dL blocks tumor development. Abiraterone acetate blocks androgen synthesis, inhibiting CYP17 and thereby significantly reducing blood testosterone levels and inducing responses in patients previously unresponsive to conventional hormone-targeted treatments and docetaxel-based chemotherapy. Phase II-III studies of abiraterone acetate have demonstrated survival increase in patients with metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer having previously undergone chemotherapy.