Hormone Therapy in Treating Patients With Rising PSA Levels Following Radiation Therapy for Prostate Cancer

A Phase III Randomized Trial Comparing Intermittent Versus Continuous Androgen Suppression for Patients With Prostate-Specific-Antigen Progression in the Clinical Absence of Distant Metastases Following Radiotherapy for Prostate Cancer

RATIONALE: Androgens can stimulate the growth of prostate cancer cells. Hormone therapy may fight prostate cancer by reducing the production of androgens. It is not yet known which androgen suppression regimen is more effective for prostate cancer.

PURPOSE: This randomized phase III trial is studying two hormone therapy regimens and comparing them to see how well they work in treating patients with rising PSA levels following radiation therapy for prostate cancer.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Prostate Cancer
• Intervention / Treatment: Drug: bicalutamide; Drug: buserelin; Drug: cyproterone acetate; Drug: flutamide; Drug: goserelin; Drug: leuprolide acetate; Drug: nilutamide

Detailed Description

OBJECTIVES:

• Compare the survival of prostate cancer patients with prostate-specific antigen progression in the clinical absence of distant metastases after prior radical radiotherapy treated with intermittent androgen suppression (IAS) vs continuous androgen deprivation (CAD).
• Compare the time to the development of hormone resistance in patients treated with these regimens.
• Compare the quality of life of patients treated with these regimens.
• Compare the serum cholesterol and HDL/LDL levels at 3 years with those at baseline and compare them annually in patients treated with these regimens.
• Evaluate the duration of treatment and non-treatment intervals, time to testosterone recovery (return to pre-therapy levels), and time to recover potency in patients treated with IAS.

OUTLINE: This is a randomized, multicenter study. Patients are stratified according to prior radical prostatectomy (yes vs no), time since completion of prior radical radiotherapy (1 to 3 years vs 3 years or more), baseline prostate-specific antigen (PSA) value (3-15 ng/mL vs greater than 15 ng/mL), and prior hormonal therapy (neo-adjuvant, concurrent, or adjuvant cytoreduction in association with the radical radiotherapy treatment or prostatectomy for a maximum duration of 12 months and completed at least 12 months prior to randomization) (yes vs no). Patients are randomized to one of two treatment arms.

• Arm I: Patients undergo intermittent androgen suppression (IAS). Patients receive luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) analog (buserelin [BSRL], goserelin [ZDX], or leuprolide [LEUP]) and an antiandrogen (nilutamide [ANAN], flutamide [FLUT], bicalutamide [CDX], or cyproterone acetate [CPTR]) for 8 months. Patients receive LHRH analog by subcutaneous (SC) or intramuscular (IM) implant every 1-4 months beginning within 5 days of randomization and oral antiandrogen 1-3 times daily, depending on the actual LHRH analog and antiandrogen. PSA levels are monitored every 2 months. If PSA falls to normal during the 8-month treatment period, therapy stops until levels rise to 10 ng/mL, at which time IAS resumes for another 8-month period. IAS continues as long as PSA levels are controlled. At the time of disease progression, patients begin continuous hormonal treatment similar to arm II.
• Arm II: Patients undergo continuous androgen deprivation without scheduled interruptions. Patients receive LHRH analog (BSRL, ZDX, or LEUP) with an antiandrogen (ANAN, FLUT, CDX, or CPTR) OR undergo bilateral orchiectomy within 5 days of randomization and receive an antiandrogen. Patients receive LHRH analog by SC or IM implant every 1-4 months beginning within 5 days of randomization and oral antiandrogen 1-3 times daily, depending on the actual LHRH analog and antiandrogen. PSA levels are monitored every 2 months. Treatment continues until hormone resistance develops.

Patients receiving LHRH analog may begin antiandrogen therapy either prior to or simultaneously with LHRH analog and must continue antiandrogen therapy for at least 4 weeks to block tumor flare.

Quality of life is assessed at randomization, every 4 months for 2 years, every 8 months until development of hormone resistance, at the time of hormone resistance, and then annually thereafter.

Patients are followed annually for survival.

PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 1,386 patients will be accrued for this study within 7 years.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 1386
• Phase: Phase 3

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Canada
  • Alberta
    • Calgary, Alberta, Canada, T2N 4N2
      • Tom Baker Cancer Centre
    • Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, T6G 1Z2
      • Cross Cancer Institute
  • British Columbia
    • Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada, V1Y 5L3
      • BCCA - Cancer Centre for the Southern Interior
    • Surrey, British Columbia, Canada, V3V 1Z2
      • BCCA - Fraser Valley Cancer Centre
    • Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, V5Z 4E6
      • BCCA - Vancouver Cancer Centre
    • Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, V5Z 1M9
      • Clinical Research Unit at Vancouver Coastal
  • Manitoba
    • Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, R3E 0V9
      • CancerCare Manitoba
  • New Brunswick
    • Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada, E1C 8X3
      • The Vitalite Health Network - Dr. Leon Richard
    • Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada, E2L 4L2
      • Atlantic Health Sciences Corporation
  • Newfoundland and Labrador
    • St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, AIB 3V6
      • Dr. H. Bliss Murphy Cancer Centre
  • Nova Scotia
    • Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, B3H 1V7
      • QEII Health Sciences Center
  • Ontario
    • Brampton, Ontario, Canada, L6R 3J7
      • William Osler Health Centre, Brampton Memorial
    • Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, L8V 5C2
      • Juravinski Cancer Centre at Hamilton Health Sciences
    • Kingston, Ontario, Canada, K7L 5P9
      • Cancer Centre of Southeastern Ontario at Kingston
    • London, Ontario, Canada, N6A 4L6
      • London Regional Cancer Program
    • Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, L5M 2N1
      • Credit Valley Hospital
    • Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, K1H 8L6
      • Ottawa Health Research Institute - General Division
    • St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada, L2R 7C6
      • Niagara Health System
    • Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, P3E 5J1
      • Northeast Cancer Center Health Sciences
    • Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada, P7B 6V4
      • Thunder Bay Regional Health Science Centre
    • Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M4N 3M5
      • Odette Cancer Centre
    • Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5G 2M9
      • Univ. Health Network-Princess Margaret Hospital
    • Windsor, Ontario, Canada, N8W 2X3
      • Windsor Regional Cancer Centre
  • Quebec
    • Montreal, Quebec, Canada, H2L 4M1
      • CHUM - Hopital Notre-Dame
    • Montreal, Quebec, Canada, H2W 1S6
      • McGill University - Dept. Oncology
    • Quebec City, Quebec, Canada, G1R 2J6
      • CHUQ-Pavillon Hotel-Dieu de Quebec
    • Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada, J1H 5N4
      • Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Sherbrooke
  • Saskatchewan
    • Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, S4T 7T1
      • Allan Blair Cancer Centre
    • Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, S7N 4H4
      • Saskatoon Cancer Centre

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 16 years to 120 years (Child, Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: Male

Description

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically or cytologically proven adenocarcinoma of the prostate prior to the initiation of radiotherapy

• Prior pelvic radiotherapy for prostate cancer, either post-radical prostatectomy or as primary management

  • More than 30 months since prior brachytherapy with curative intent
• Prostate-specific antigen must be rising and greater than 3 ng/mL and higher than the lowest level recorded previously since the end of radiotherapy (i.e., higher than the post-radiotherapy nadir)
• Total testosterone greater than 5 nmol/L

• No definite evidence of metastatic disease

  • Chest x-ray and bone scan negative for metastases
  • Radiological changes compatible with nonmalignant diseases allowed
• Clinical evidence of local disease allowed

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

• 16 and over (18 and over for participating centers in the United Kingdom)

Performance status:

• ECOG 0-1

Life expectancy:

• More than 5 years

Hematopoietic:

• Not specified

Hepatic:

• Bilirubin no greater than 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
• AST/ALT no greater than 1.5 times ULN
• LDH no greater than 1.5 times ULN
• No chronic liver disease

Renal:

• Creatinine no greater than 1.5 times ULN

Other:

• Sufficiently fluent and willing to complete the quality of life questionnaire in either English or French
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• No other malignancy within the past 5 years except curatively treated basal or squamous cell skin cancer or superficial bladder cancer

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy:

• No prior or concurrent biologic therapy

Chemotherapy:

• No prior or concurrent chemotherapy

Endocrine therapy:

• Prior hormonal therapy administered prior to, during, or immediately after radical radiotherapy or prostatectomy allowed provided duration was no longer than 12 months

  • At least 12 months since prior hormonal therapy

Radiotherapy:

• See Disease Characteristics
• At least 12 months since prior radiotherapy
• No concurrent palliative radiotherapy

Surgery:

• See Disease Characteristics
• See Endocrine therapy

Other:

• No concurrent bisphosphonates

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Active Comparator: Intermittent Androgen Suppression	Drug: bicalutamide; Patients on the IAS arm should receive a minimum of 4 weeks of antiandrogen and a total of 8 months of LHRH analog during each on-treatment interval. The dose and frequency of LHRH treatment will be determined by the drug being administered (Appendix IX). Patients on the IAS arm should not be given an LHRH analog injection at the end of month 8 unless the patient is transferred to continuous treatment as per protocol upon completion of the 8 month intermittent treatment. Patients may be treated with any commercially available LHRH analog and antiandrogen during or after protocol treatment (Appendix IX). Patients may switch drugs at any time during or after protocol treatment. The dose and schedule of treatment will depend on the agent used. Patients should continue to receive hormone therapy without interruption until hormone resistance has been documented; Drug: buserelin; Patients on the IAS arm should receive a minimum of 4 weeks of antiandrogen and a total of 8 months of LHRH analog during each on-treatment interval. The dose and frequency of LHRH treatment will be determined by the drug being administered (Appendix IX). Patients on the IAS arm should not be given an LHRH analog injection at the end of month 8 unless the patient is transferred to continuous treatment as per protocol upon completion of the 8 month intermittent treatment. Patients may be treated with any commercially available LHRH analog and antiandrogen during or after protocol treatment (Appendix IX). Patients may switch drugs at any time during or after protocol treatment. The dose and schedule of treatment will depend on the agent used. Patients should continue to receive hormone therapy without interruption until hormone resistance has been documented; Drug: cyproterone acetate; Patients on the IAS arm should receive a minimum of 4 weeks of antiandrogen and a total of 8 months of LHRH analog during each on-treatment interval. The dose and frequency of LHRH treatment will be determined by the drug being administered (Appendix IX). Patients on the IAS arm should not be given an LHRH analog injection at the end of month 8 unless the patient is transferred to continuous treatment as per protocol upon completion of the 8 month intermittent treatment. Patients may be treated with any commercially available LHRH analog and antiandrogen during or after protocol treatment (Appendix IX). Patients may switch drugs at any time during or after protocol treatment. The dose and schedule of treatment will depend on the agent used. Patients should continue to receive hormone therapy without interruption until hormone resistance has been documented; Drug: flutamide; Patients on the IAS arm should receive a minimum of 4 weeks of antiandrogen and a total of 8 months of LHRH analog during each on-treatment interval. The dose and frequency of LHRH treatment will be determined by the drug being administered (Appendix IX). Patients on the IAS arm should not be given an LHRH analog injection at the end of month 8 unless the patient is transferred to continuous treatment as per protocol upon completion of the 8 month intermittent treatment. Patients may be treated with any commercially available LHRH analog and antiandrogen during or after protocol treatment (Appendix IX). Patients may switch drugs at any time during or after protocol treatment. The dose and schedule of treatment will depend on the agent used. Patients should continue to receive hormone therapy without interruption until hormone resistance has been documented; Drug: goserelin; Patients on the IAS arm should receive a minimum of 4 weeks of antiandrogen and a total of 8 months of LHRH analog during each on-treatment interval. The dose and frequency of LHRH treatment will be determined by the drug being administered (Appendix IX). Patients on the IAS arm should not be given an LHRH analog injection at the end of month 8 unless the patient is transferred to continuous treatment as per protocol upon completion of the 8 month intermittent treatment. Patients may be treated with any commercially available LHRH analog and antiandrogen during or after protocol treatment (Appendix IX). Patients may switch drugs at any time during or after protocol treatment. The dose and schedule of treatment will depend on the agent used. Patients should continue to receive hormone therapy without interruption until hormone resistance has been documented; Drug: leuprolide acetate; Patients on the IAS arm should receive a minimum of 4 weeks of antiandrogen and a total of 8 months of LHRH analog during each on-treatment interval. The dose and frequency of LHRH treatment will be determined by the drug being administered (Appendix IX). Patients on the IAS arm should not be given an LHRH analog injection at the end of month 8 unless the patient is transferred to continuous treatment as per protocol upon completion of the 8 month intermittent treatment. Patients may be treated with any commercially available LHRH analog and antiandrogen during or after protocol treatment (Appendix IX). Patients may switch drugs at any time during or after protocol treatment. The dose and schedule of treatment will depend on the agent used. Patients should continue to receive hormone therapy without interruption until hormone resistance has been documented; Drug: nilutamide; Patients on the IAS arm should receive a minimum of 4 weeks of antiandrogen and a total of 8 months of LHRH analog during each on-treatment interval. The dose and frequency of LHRH treatment will be determined by the drug being administered (Appendix IX). Patients on the IAS arm should not be given an LHRH analog injection at the end of month 8 unless the patient is transferred to continuous treatment as per protocol upon completion of the 8 month intermittent treatment. Patients may be treated with any commercially available LHRH analog and antiandrogen during or after protocol treatment (Appendix IX). Patients may switch drugs at any time during or after protocol treatment. The dose and schedule of treatment will depend on the agent used. Patients should continue to receive hormone therapy without interruption until hormone resistance has been documented
Active Comparator: Continuous Androgen Suppression	Drug: bicalutamide; Patients on the IAS arm should receive a minimum of 4 weeks of antiandrogen and a total of 8 months of LHRH analog during each on-treatment interval. The dose and frequency of LHRH treatment will be determined by the drug being administered (Appendix IX). Patients on the IAS arm should not be given an LHRH analog injection at the end of month 8 unless the patient is transferred to continuous treatment as per protocol upon completion of the 8 month intermittent treatment. Patients may be treated with any commercially available LHRH analog and antiandrogen during or after protocol treatment (Appendix IX). Patients may switch drugs at any time during or after protocol treatment. The dose and schedule of treatment will depend on the agent used. Patients should continue to receive hormone therapy without interruption until hormone resistance has been documented; Drug: buserelin; Patients on the IAS arm should receive a minimum of 4 weeks of antiandrogen and a total of 8 months of LHRH analog during each on-treatment interval. The dose and frequency of LHRH treatment will be determined by the drug being administered (Appendix IX). Patients on the IAS arm should not be given an LHRH analog injection at the end of month 8 unless the patient is transferred to continuous treatment as per protocol upon completion of the 8 month intermittent treatment. Patients may be treated with any commercially available LHRH analog and antiandrogen during or after protocol treatment (Appendix IX). Patients may switch drugs at any time during or after protocol treatment. The dose and schedule of treatment will depend on the agent used. Patients should continue to receive hormone therapy without interruption until hormone resistance has been documented; Drug: cyproterone acetate; Patients on the IAS arm should receive a minimum of 4 weeks of antiandrogen and a total of 8 months of LHRH analog during each on-treatment interval. The dose and frequency of LHRH treatment will be determined by the drug being administered (Appendix IX). Patients on the IAS arm should not be given an LHRH analog injection at the end of month 8 unless the patient is transferred to continuous treatment as per protocol upon completion of the 8 month intermittent treatment. Patients may be treated with any commercially available LHRH analog and antiandrogen during or after protocol treatment (Appendix IX). Patients may switch drugs at any time during or after protocol treatment. The dose and schedule of treatment will depend on the agent used. Patients should continue to receive hormone therapy without interruption until hormone resistance has been documented; Drug: flutamide; Patients on the IAS arm should receive a minimum of 4 weeks of antiandrogen and a total of 8 months of LHRH analog during each on-treatment interval. The dose and frequency of LHRH treatment will be determined by the drug being administered (Appendix IX). Patients on the IAS arm should not be given an LHRH analog injection at the end of month 8 unless the patient is transferred to continuous treatment as per protocol upon completion of the 8 month intermittent treatment. Patients may be treated with any commercially available LHRH analog and antiandrogen during or after protocol treatment (Appendix IX). Patients may switch drugs at any time during or after protocol treatment. The dose and schedule of treatment will depend on the agent used. Patients should continue to receive hormone therapy without interruption until hormone resistance has been documented; Drug: goserelin; Patients on the IAS arm should receive a minimum of 4 weeks of antiandrogen and a total of 8 months of LHRH analog during each on-treatment interval. The dose and frequency of LHRH treatment will be determined by the drug being administered (Appendix IX). Patients on the IAS arm should not be given an LHRH analog injection at the end of month 8 unless the patient is transferred to continuous treatment as per protocol upon completion of the 8 month intermittent treatment. Patients may be treated with any commercially available LHRH analog and antiandrogen during or after protocol treatment (Appendix IX). Patients may switch drugs at any time during or after protocol treatment. The dose and schedule of treatment will depend on the agent used. Patients should continue to receive hormone therapy without interruption until hormone resistance has been documented; Drug: leuprolide acetate; Patients on the IAS arm should receive a minimum of 4 weeks of antiandrogen and a total of 8 months of LHRH analog during each on-treatment interval. The dose and frequency of LHRH treatment will be determined by the drug being administered (Appendix IX). Patients on the IAS arm should not be given an LHRH analog injection at the end of month 8 unless the patient is transferred to continuous treatment as per protocol upon completion of the 8 month intermittent treatment. Patients may be treated with any commercially available LHRH analog and antiandrogen during or after protocol treatment (Appendix IX). Patients may switch drugs at any time during or after protocol treatment. The dose and schedule of treatment will depend on the agent used. Patients should continue to receive hormone therapy without interruption until hormone resistance has been documented; Drug: nilutamide; Patients on the IAS arm should receive a minimum of 4 weeks of antiandrogen and a total of 8 months of LHRH analog during each on-treatment interval. The dose and frequency of LHRH treatment will be determined by the drug being administered (Appendix IX). Patients on the IAS arm should not be given an LHRH analog injection at the end of month 8 unless the patient is transferred to continuous treatment as per protocol upon completion of the 8 month intermittent treatment. Patients may be treated with any commercially available LHRH analog and antiandrogen during or after protocol treatment (Appendix IX). Patients may switch drugs at any time during or after protocol treatment. The dose and schedule of treatment will depend on the agent used. Patients should continue to receive hormone therapy without interruption until hormone resistance has been documented

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Time Frame
Overall survival	2 years

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Time Frame
Time to hormone resistance	2 years
Quality of life by European Organization for Research of the Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire-C30+ (EORTC QLQ-C30+) trial specific checklist	2 years
Serum cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein, and low-density lipoprotein levels	2 years
Duration of treatment and non-treatment interval during intermittent androgen suppression arm only	2 years
Time to testosterone recovery during intermittent androgen suppression arm only	2 years
Time to recovery of potency during intermittent androgen suppression arm only	2 years

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: NCIC Clinical Trials Group
• Collaborators: National Cancer Institute (NCI); Southwest Oncology Group
• Investigators: Study Chair: Celestia S. Higano, MD, University of Washington

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Klotz L, Correia A, Zhang W. The relationship between the androgen receptor CAG repeat polymorphism length and the response to intermittent androgen suppression therapy for advanced prostate cancer. Prostate Cancer Prostatic Dis. 2005;8(2):179-83. doi: 10.1038/sj.pcan.4500792.
• Crook JM, O'Callaghan CJ, Duncan G, Dearnaley DP, Higano CS, Horwitz EM, Frymire E, Malone S, Chin J, Nabid A, Warde P, Corbett T, Angyalfi S, Goldenberg SL, Gospodarowicz MK, Saad F, Logue JP, Hall E, Schellhammer PF, Ding K, Klotz L. Intermittent androgen suppression for rising PSA level after radiotherapy. N Engl J Med. 2012 Sep 6;367(10):895-903. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1201546. Erratum In: N Engl J Med. 2012 Dec 6;367(23):2262.
• Hamilton RJ, Ding K, Crook JM, O'Callaghan CJ, Higano CS, Dearnaley DP, Horwitz EM, Goldenberg SL, Gospodarowicz MK, Klotz L. The Association Between Statin Use and Outcomes in Patients Initiating Androgen Deprivation Therapy. Eur Urol. 2021 Apr;79(4):446-452. doi: 10.1016/j.eururo.2020.12.031. Epub 2020 Dec 31.
• Klotz L, O'Callaghan C, Ding K, Toren P, Dearnaley D, Higano CS, Horwitz E, Malone S, Goldenberg L, Gospodarowicz M, Crook JM. Nadir testosterone within first year of androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT) predicts for time to castration-resistant progression: a secondary analysis of the PR-7 trial of intermittent versus continuous ADT. J Clin Oncol. 2015 Apr 1;33(10):1151-6. doi: 10.1200/JCO.2014.58.2973. Epub 2015 Mar 2. Erratum In: J Clin Oncol. 2016 Jun 1;34(16):1965.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): January 5, 1999
• Primary Completion (Actual): October 4, 2010
• Study Completion (Actual): January 10, 2013

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: November 1, 1999
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 26, 2003
• First Posted (Estimate): January 27, 2003

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): June 23, 2021
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 21, 2021
• Last Verified: April 1, 2020

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: recurrent prostate cancer; adenocarcinoma of the prostate
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Neoplasms; Urogenital Neoplasms; Neoplasms by Site; Genital Neoplasms, Male; Prostatic Diseases; Prostatic Neoplasms; Physiological Effects of Drugs; Antineoplastic Agents; Hormones, Hormone Substitutes, and Hormone Antagonists; Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal; Hormone Antagonists; Contraceptive Agents; Reproductive Control Agents; Fertility Agents, Female; Fertility Agents; Androgen Antagonists; Contraceptive Agents, Male; Leuprolide; Goserelin; Bicalutamide; Flutamide; Cyproterone Acetate; Cyproterone; Nilutamide; Buserelin
• Other Study ID Numbers: PR7; CAN-NCIC-PR7 (Other Identifier: PDQ); SWOG-JPR7 (Other Identifier: SWOG); ICR-CTSU-JPR7 (Other Identifier: CTSU); CDR0000066745 (Other Identifier: PDQ)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: No

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No