Prostate Cancer: Targeted and Immunotherapies
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This section covers the following topics:
What is ?
is a type of cancer treatment designed to attack or kill cancer cells, while sparing normal cells as much as possible. These drugs are designed to target abnormal proteins, receptors or genes that are found in cancer cells or the surrounding tissue.
PARP inhibitors
PARP inhibitors are a type of that works by blocking a protein that the body uses to repair damage. They were initially developed to treat cancers in people with an inherited or mutation.
The following PARP inhibitors are used to treat castration-resistant cancer (mCRPC).
- The Talzenna () may be used as a treatment for mCRPC in people who have an found through genetic testing or tumor mutation found through tumor testing in , , , ATR, CDK12, , FANCA, , MRE11A, , , or .
- The , Lynparza () may be used in combination with Zytiga and prednisone or prednisolone for the or later treatment of mCRPC in patients with an inherited or mutation (found through genetic testing) or tumor or mutation (found through tumor testing or ).
- The , Lynparza may be used to treat mCRPC after the cancer has progressed on the drugs Xtandi () or Zytiga () in people with an inherited mutation in , (found through genetic testing) or a tumor mutation in , , , , , CDK12, CHEK1, , FANCL, , RAD51B, , , RAD54L (found through tumor testing).
- The , () may be used to treat mCRPC, in people who have an in or (found through genetic testing) or a tumor mutation in or (found through tumor testing or ).
- Akeega is a new drug that combines the , () with the hormone therapy, Zytiga. Akeega is used with prednisone to treat mCRPC in people who have an or a tumor mutation in or (found through tumor testing or ).
Other targeted therapies
- Pluvicto (lutetium Lu 177 vipivotide tetraxetan) is a type of targeted radiation used to treat mCRPC for men previously treated with with hormone therapy with an androgen receptor inhibitor and taxane-based chemotherapy. It targets a receptor called PSMA found on the surface of cancer cells.
- Enhertu (trastuzumab deruxtecan) is a type of targeted therapy approved for treatment many different types of advanced cancers (including cancer) if tumor testing shows a called .
Researchers are studying new ways to use targeted therapies to treat cancer, including: Visit our Featured Research section for more information.
Immunotherapies
Immunotherapies are cancer treatments that help the body’s immune system detect and attack cancer cells.
- Immune checkpoint inhibitors are a type of most often used to treat advanced/metastatic cancer that have MSI-H or dMMR; usually after other treatments have been tried.
- Keytruda (pembrolizumab) may be used to treat patients with castration resistant cancer that is MSI-H or and have had one line of therapy affecting the whole body.
- Cancer treatment vaccines are a type of that uses a patient’s own cancer cells to boost their immune system.
- Provenge (sipuleucel-T) may be used to treat patients with prostate cancer whose disease has progressed after hormonal treatment and who have minimal symptoms related to the cancer.
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Name of Drug |
Cancer Stage |
Indication |
Biomarker |
Type of Agent |
Akeega (niraparib and abiraterone acetate) |
Metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) |
In combination with prednisone for first-line or later treatment of mCRPC |
Inherited or tumor mutation in BRCA1 or BRCA2 based on FoundationOne tumor test |
Type of targeted therapy known as a PARP inhibitor combined with a hormonal therapy |
Lynparza (olaparib) |
Metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) |
Combined with Zytiga and prednisone or prednisolone for first-line or later treatment of mCRPC |
|
Type of targeted therapy known as a PARP inhibitor |
Lynparza (olaparib) |
Metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) |
For treatment of mCRPC which has progressed following treatment with Xtandi (enzalutamide) or Zytiga (abiraterone) |
|
Type of targeted therapy known as a PARP inhibitor |
Rubraca (rucaparib) |
Metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) |
For treatment of mCRPC which has been treated with androgen receptor-directed therapy and a taxane-based chemotherapy |
|
Type of targeted therapy known as a PARP inhibitor |
Talzenna (talazoparib) |
Metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) |
In combination with enzalutamide for mCRPC which has not yet been treated in the castration-resistant setting |
Inherited or tumor mutation in one of the following genes: BRCA1, BRCA2, ATM, ATR, CDK12, CHEK2, FANCA, MLH1, MRE11A, NBN, PALB2, or RAD51C |
Type of targeted therapy known as a PARP inhibitor |
Pluvicto (lutetium Lu 177 vipivotide tetraxetan) |
Metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) |
For treatment of mCRPC which has stopped responding or got worse after treatment with hormonal therapy using an androgen receptor inhibitor and taxane-based chemotherapy |
Imaging with a PET scan that looks for prostate cancers with the marker PSMA |
Targeted radiation therapy |
Provenge (sipuleucel-T) |
Metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) |
For the treatment of mCRPC that has no symptoms or minimal symptoms |
No biomarker required |
Cancer vaccine |
Keytruda (pembrolizumab) |
Metastatic solid tumors (including prostate cancer) |
For treatment of solid tumors that have progressed after treatment and for which there are no other treatment options |
Microsatellite Instability High (MSI-H) or Mismatch Repair Deficiency (dMMR or MMR-D) |
Immune checkpoint inhibitor |
Keytruda (pembrolizumab) |
Metastatic solid tumors (including prostate cancer) |
For the treatment of solid tumors that have progressed following prior treatment and for which there are no satisfactory alternative treatment options |
Tumor Mutational Burden-High (TMB-H) |
Immune checkpoint inhibitor |
Enhertu (fam-trastuzumab-deruxtecan-nxki) |
Metastatic or unresectable solid tumors (including prostate cancer) |
For adult patients with unresectable or metastatic, HER2-positive solid tumors who have received prior systemic treatment and have no alternative treatment options |
HER2 overexpression (HER2-positive) |
Antibody-drug conjugate (chemotherapy attached to antibody targeting HER2 receptor) |