Does Ethnicity Influence Response To Docetaxel Based-Chemotherapy For Patients With Castration Resistant Prostate Cancer? The New Mexico Perspective.

INTRODUCTION: Metastatic prostate cancer is lethal in 15 % of the patients. Ethnic variations in response to docetaxel in patients with metastatic prostate cancer have not been studied. The aim of this study was to identify ethnic differences in the response to docetaxel, among patients with castration resistant metastatic prostate cancer.PATIENTS AND METHODS: We queried the New Mexico Cancer Registry then the electronic charts of all castration resistant metastatic prostate cancer patients who were treated with docetaxel between 1999 and 2010 at the University of New Mexico Cancer Center. Patient characteristics that might influence the response to docetaxel such as age, prior treatment including hormones, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and surgery, concurrent chemotherapy, site of disease, baseline PSA, and number of docetaxel courses were recorded. Progression of disease after start of treatment was defined as identification of new lesions or a biochemical recurrence. The primary end point was overall survival. Secondary end points were progression-free survival and PSA response to docetaxel. RESULTS: Despite a lower incidence of prostate cancer in NM, the death rate is higher than the national average. Although not statistically significant, the overall survival for patients treated with docetaxel is highest among Non Hispanic Whites, followed by Native Americans and worst among the Hispanic population. The progression free survival was greatest in the Native American population followed by Non Hispanic Whites, followed by Hispanics. Compared to published data, the survival of New Mexicans with prostate cancer treated with docetaxel is worse.CONCLUSION: Hispanic males with castration resistant metastatic prostate cancer on docetaxel, tended to have the lowest overall survival and progression free survival, but overall the differences between New Mexican ethnicities were not statistically significant.