Circulating tumor cell counts are prognostic of overall survival in SWOG S0421: A phase III trial of docetaxel with or without atrasentan for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer

Amir Goldkorn, Benjamin Ely, David I. Quinn, Catherine M. Tangen, Louis M. Fink, Tong Xu, Przemyslaw Twardowski, Peter J. Van Veldhuizen, Neeraj Agarwal, Michael A. Carducci, J. Paul Monk, Ram H. Datar, Mark Garzotto, Philip C. Mack, Primo Lara, Celestia S. Higano, Maha Hussain, Ian Murchie Thompson, Richard J. Cote, Nicholas J. Vogelzang

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

254 Scopus citations

Abstract

Purpose: Circulating tumor cell (CTC) enumeration has not been prospectively validated in standard first-line docetaxel treatment for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. We assessed the prognostic value of CTCs for overall survival (OS) and disease response in S0421, a phase III trial of docetaxel plus prednisone with or without atrasentan. Patients and Methods: CTCs were enumerated at baseline (day 0) and before cycle two (day 21) using CellSearch. Baseline counts and changes in counts from day 0 to 21 were evaluated for association with OS, prostate-specific antigen (PSA), and RECIST response using Cox regression as well as receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curves, integrated discrimination improvement (IDI) analysis, and regression trees. Results: Median day-0 CTC count was five cells per 7.5 mL, and CTCs < versus ≥ five per 7.5 mL were significantly associated with baseline PSA, bone pain, liver disease, hemoglobin, alkaline phosphatase, and subsequent PSA and RECIST response. Median OS was 26 months for < five versus 13 months for ≥ five CTCs per 7.5 mL at day 0 (hazard ratio [HR], 2.74 [adjusting for covariates]). ROC curves had higher areas under the curve for day-0 CTCs than for PSA, and IDI analysis showed that adding day-0 CTCs to baseline PSA and other covariates increased predictive accuracy for survival by 8% to 10%. Regression trees yielded new prognostic subgroups, and rising CTC count from day 0 to 21 was associated with shorter OS (HR, 2.55). Conclusion: These data validate the prognostic utility of CTC enumeration in a large docetaxel-based prospective cohort. Baseline CTC counts were prognostic, and rising CTCs at 3 weeks heralded significantly worse OS, potentially serving as an early metric to help redirect and optimize therapy in this clinical setting.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)1136-1142
Number of pages7
JournalJournal of Clinical Oncology
Volume32
Issue number11
DOIs
StatePublished - Apr 10 2014
Externally publishedYes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Oncology
  • Cancer Research

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