Combination regime may work against prostate cancer

A recent study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology suggests that men with advanced Prostate Cancer respond better to a combination of Vitamin D with the chemotherapy drug Taxotere.

A phase II clinical trial of 35 men treated with a combination of Taxotere and Calcitriol found that this combination regime was more effective than treatment with Taxotere alone. This was measured by the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) response rate. 81 per cent of the subjects showed a PSA level reduced by more than half while 59 percent showed a 75 percent decrease in the PSA levels.

PSA is produced in the prostate gland. A high level of PSA may indicate the presence of cancer. In men with advanced prostate cancer, the PSA level provides information about the amount of cancer in the body.

Further study of the combination treatment is underway in a phase III trail.