What the trial was testing
The trial enrolled 170 patients with prostate cancer. The study was sponsored by M.D. Anderson Cancer Center and tracked outcomes across the full group of patients who matched the trial's eligibility profile.
It was an early-stage trial — researchers are still confirming safety and getting an early look at how well the treatment works. Trials at this stage are designed to produce evidence regulators and physicians can act on — not just observations to follow up later.
What the results showed
The combination delayed cancer progression from 4.5 to 7.3 months compared to cabazitaxel alone.
The Lancet. Oncology · 2019 · NCT01505868
These findings — that the combination kept cancer stable for 7.3 months versus 4.5 months with cabazitaxel alone — were published in the The Lancet. Oncology and represent the headline result of the study.
Researchers tracked outcomes across 170 patients enrolled in the trial. The result was consistent enough across the group that the team felt confident reporting it.
What this means for patients
For patients with prostate cancer, this result changes the calculus on what to ask their care team about. Whether it changes day-to-day care depends on factors like disease subtype, prior treatments, and where the patient is in their care journey.
What you can do now
This was an early-stage study and the combination is not yet FDA-approved. Cabazitaxel is FDA-approved for advanced prostate cancer, but adding carboplatin remains experimental. If you have advanced prostate cancer that no longer responds to hormone therapy, talk to your doctor about whether this combination might be available through clinical trials or if cabazitaxel alone is right for you.
Eligibility for the treatments mentioned above depends on specific test results and clinical history. Bring this summary, the trial name, and your most recent labs or pathology report to your next visit.
Open prostate cancer trials
PSMA-PET Imaging for Detecting Early Metastatic Prostate Cancer in Men w/ High Decipher Test Scores
This study will enroll 60 patients previously enrolled to MCC#18523, "A Validation Study on the Impact of Decipher® Testing on Treatment Recommendations in African-American and Non-African American Men with Prostate Cancer: (VANDAAM)" that had high risk Decipher test results (Decipher score \>0.45). Patients with a high genomic classifier (GC) score at diagnosis will be approached for formal consenting for PSMA-PET imaging at 2 years post treatment.
Using FAPI PET/MRI to Evaluate Prostate Cancer
The goal of this clinical trial is to gain more information about how FAPI (fibroblast activation protein inhibitor) binds to certain type of cells in the tumor tissue. The main question it aims to answer is how this information can be used to better diagnose and track prostate cancer. Participants will undergo two PET/MRI scans during two research visits, each of which may last up to 2.5 hours.