For the first time you can cure the prostate cancer with a latest generation drug that promises fewer side effects on the sexual sphere but above all eliminates the pharmacological castration which is essential in many cases. These are the extraordinary results of the Embark study just presented at the Congress of the American Urological Association in Chicago, but the research also speaks the Italian language.
How the drug works
After decades of treatment with the so-called “androgen deprivation”, thanks to theenzalutamide the chances that the disease may affect other areas of the body are reduced by 58% and even an improvement of 93% on the progression of the prostate specific antigen (PSA) and the need to resort to chemotherapy is eliminated by 64%. As you remember InSalutethe trial was conducted on 1,068 patients who had early stage prostate cancer.
Research success
“We are proud to have contributed to the realization of the Embark study and it is the confirmation of Italy’s leading role in international research”. Prof. told the press. Ugo De GiorgiDirector of Clinical and Experimental Oncology of the IRCCS Romagna Institute for the Study of Tumors ‘Dino Amadori’, IRST, of Meldola, the only Italian involved in the study and among the very few Europeans who signed the work which saw the involvement of just over one thousand patients between 2015 and 2018.”Embark is one of the first studies evaluating a new generation anti-androgen drug associated with androgen deprivation therapy, when prostate cancer is in a very early stage and there is still a concrete chance of cure. Therapy was initiated after radical prostatectomy or radiotherapy, in the presence of biochemical signs of recurrence of the disease, such as rapid PSA doubling time”, explained De Giorgi.
The importance of prevention
The head physician explained that up to now two out of three patients, therefore 75%, are able to recover even if after 10 years there is the possibility of a recurrence with a high risk of death. For the first time, therefore, it will be able to change the standard of care by intervening with effective therapies that must prevent this disease from spreading and becoming metastatic. “Until now, the standard was represented by pharmacological castration, which guarantees long-lasting remissions but heavy side effects”. he added, underlining that 10% of the younger patients refused this option trying to delay it as much as possible because in the initial stages there are no obvious signs of the disease apart from the increase in PSA. “But delayed treatment can lead to rapid tumor progression and a worse prognosis.” he added.
The cases in Italy
Only last year, our country counted 40.500 new diagnoses of prostate cancer. Now, thanks to this important medical-scientific novelty, “si estimate that every year, in Italy, there may be around eight thousand patients who are candidates for this treatment“, added De Giorgi. The drug in question does not have the side effects derived from pharmacological castration. “Overall survival data will be available as the study continues, but a clear improvement in this parameter is also expected as a consequence of the reduction in the risk of distant metastases”. conclude.