Results from a clinical trial by medical oncologist Dr. Kim Nguyen Chi are offering new hope to patients with metastatic prostate cancer.
The trial, called the TITAN study, examined the use of a new type of hormone-reducing medication in treating prostate cancer. Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among Canadian men and is the third most common cause of cancer death.
“There is a critical need to improve outcomes for patients with prostate cancer,” says Dr. Chi, vice president and chief medical officer of BC Cancer. “The data suggests this treatment can significantly prolong survival and delay the spread of the disease.”
In general, the overall survival rate is approximately five years once the cancer has spread beyond the prostate. 1,052 men with advanced prostate cancer were randomized in this study and included men who had received prior chemotherapy. The focus of the trial was on lowering the rate of progression of the prostate cancer and overall survival.
“At the first analysis, the trial was positive. Patients experienced a 52 per cent reduction in the risk of progression, and there was a 33 per cent improvement in overall survival,” said Dr. Chi.
Dr. Chi recently presented the findings of the TITAN study at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting and the study has been published in the New England Journal of Medicine. He also presented at the 2019 Best of ASCO Annual Meeting in August.