Efficacy of tasquinimod in men with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

BACKGROUND: Tasquinimod is an oral quinoline-3-carboxamide derivative for the treatment of metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). Tasquinimod has antiangiogenic, immunomodulatory, and antimetastatic properties, but it is also associated with toxicities, including skeletal pain, digestive disorders, fatigue, insomnia, and mental disorders. We aimed to perform a meta-analysis to evaluate the efficacy, safety, and long-term survival for tasquinimod in patients with mCRPC. METHODS: Searches were carried out in PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library. Eligible articles included randomized clinical trials (RCTs) comparing systemic or combination therapy (excluding primary or secondary androgen deprivation therapy, bone protective agents, or radionuclides) with placebo in men with mCRPC. RESULTS: Three RCTs were selected for final evaluation. The pooled results from the 3 studies indicated that tasquinimod was associated with good radiologic progression-free survival (rPFS) in mCRPC. For adverse effects (AEs), the results of meta-analysis indicated that patients with mCRPC who received tasquinimod had obvious anemia (risk ratio (RR) 1.35, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.06–1.73, P = .02), back pain (RR: 1.57, 95% CI: 1.01–2.47, P = .05), pain in the extremities (RR: 1.90, 95% CI: 1.14–3.17, P = .01), insomnia (RR: 1.50, 95% CI: 1.03–2.17, P = .03), vomiting (RR: 1.52, 95% CI: 1.04–2.21, P = .03), and peripheral edema (RR: 1.52, 95% CI: 1.03–2.23, P = .03). CONCLUSIONS: Tasquinimod is associated with better rPFS in mCRPC. The toxicity of tasquinimod requires further investigation, it is not recommended for routine clinical use.