A drug pairing used in men with advanced prostate cancer and specific gene changes extended the time before the disease worsened, though it also brought a higher rate of serious side effects, according to results published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
The New England Journal of Medicine has posted full results from the TALAPRO-2 phase 3 trial, which tested talazoparib combined with enzalutamide against a placebo combined with enzalutamide in patients whose metastatic prostate cancer — cancer that has spread beyond the prostate — carried certain gene alterations (changes in DNA repair genes). Men on the active combination went longer without their disease progressing, a measure doctors call progression-free survival.
But the trial also recorded more serious unwanted effects (adverse events) in the talazoparib–enzalutamide group than in those receiving placebo–enzalutamide. The journal did not specify the exact rate of those events in the social media post, and the full figures sit within the published paper itself.
Worth being clear about what this trial is not: it is not a treatment available at your GP’s surgery tomorrow. Phase 3 results feed into regulatory review processes before any drug combination reaches NHS prescribing lists. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and NHS England would need to assess the data before patients in Kent or elsewhere in England could access it through the health service.
Men living with metastatic prostate cancer, or their families, who have questions about current treatment options should speak to their oncology team or contact their GP. Prostate Cancer UK runs a specialist nurse helpline on 0800 074 8383.
Key information
- Prostate Cancer UK nurse helpline: 0800 074 8383
- For general health concerns, contact your GP or call NHS 111
- In a medical emergency, call 999
Source: @NEJM
Prostate Cancer Drug Combination Shows Survival Benefit in Phase 3 Trial Quiz
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