Oral etoposide in the treatment of hormone‐refractory prostate cancer

Background. Hormone‐refractory prostate cancer generally remains a chemotherapy‐resistant tumor and therefore warrants the continued evaluation of promising agents. Methods. Twenty‐two eligible patients with hormone‐refractory prostate cancer were treated with oral etoposide at a dosage of 50 mg/m²/day for 21 days in a 28‐day cycle. Response was evaluated using standard solid tumor response criteria. Results. There were two partial responses of 6 and 14 months' duration, respectively. Two patients had disease stabilization, one for 6 months and one for 12 months. Median survival was 31 weeks, with an overal 1‐year survival of 30%. Reversible alopecia and myelosuppression were the primary toxicities noted. Conclusions. Single‐agent oral etoposide has minimal activity in patients with hormone‐refractory prostate cancer.