estramustine and Heart-Failure

The effect of a medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) plus epirubicin combination versus estramustine phosphate was evaluated in 149 prospectively randomized patients with hormone-resistant prostatic cancer. The estimated probability of being free from progression after 1 year was 17% for the patients treated with estramustine and 29% for the MPA-epirubicin group. There is a significant difference between the two groups regarding risk of progression (p = 0.013). However, no difference in survival was recorded (p > 0.30) with about 60% of the patients dead during the first year in both groups. Progression was highly correlated to sedimentation rate (p < 0.001) and to performance index (p = 0.002). Heart failure occurred in a substantial number of patients in both groups which must be considered before starting therapy.

Topics: Aged; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols; Epirubicin; Estramustine; Heart Failure; Humans; Male; Medroxyprogesterone Acetate; Prospective Studies; Prostatic Neoplasms; Recurrence