A Phase III Randomized Trial for Evaluating Second Line Hormonal Therapy (Ketoconazole/Hydrocortisone) Versus Paclitaxel/Estramustine Combination Chemotherapy on Progression Free Survival in Asymptomatic Patients With a Rising PSA After Hormonal Therapy for Prostate Cancer

OBJECTIVES:

• Compare time to objective progression in patients with prostate cancer and a rising prostate-specific antigen (PSA) after androgen suppression when treated with second-line hormonal therapy (ketoconazole and hydrocortisone) vs combination chemotherapy (docetaxel and estramustine).
• Compare time to PSA progression and correlate this with time to objective progression in patients treated with these regimens.
• Compare the quality of life in patients treated with these regimens.
• Compare overall survival of patients treated with these regimens.
• Compare the natural history of progression in patients treated with these regimens.
• Identify prognostic indicators of clinical outcome by immunohistochemical evaluation of apoptopic biomarkers in patients treated with these regimens.

OUTLINE: This is a randomized, multicenter study. Patients are stratified according to prior treatment with bisphosphonates (yes vs no). Patients are randomized to 1 of 2 treatment arms.

• Arm I: Patients receive oral ketoconazole three times daily and oral hydrocortisone twice daily. Treatment continues in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity.
• Arm II: Patients receive oral estramustine three times daily on days 1-5 and docetaxel IV over 1 hour on day 2. Treatment repeats every 3 weeks for up to 6 courses in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity.

Quality of life is assessed at baseline, on day 1 of week 9, at 6 months and 1 year, and then annually for up to 10 years or until beginning of first non-protocol therapy.