Neoadjuvant Chemohormonal Therapy before Radical Prostatectomy for Japanese Patients with High-Risk Localized Prostate Cancer

Background: Radical prostatectomy (RP) is the standard treatment in patients with high-risk prostate cancer (PCa). However, there is a high rate of recurrence, and new approaches are required to improve surgical efficacy. Here, we evaluated the feasibility and safety of neoadjuvant chemohormonal therapy (NCHT) before RP for Japanese patients with high-risk localized prostate cancer (PCa). Methods: From February 2009 to April 2016, 21 high-risk patients were enrolled in this prospective study. Patients were treated with docetaxel (70 mg/m(2)) every four weeks for three cycles and luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone agonist. Patients with grade 3–4 toxicities had 25% dose reductions for the following course. Results: Median follow-up was 88.6 months. The dose of docetaxel was reduced in 13 patients. The estimated five-year biochemical progression-free survival (bPFS) rate was 57.1%. National Comprehensive Cancer Network criteria (high-risk, but not very high-risk (nVHR) versus VHR) was associated with bPFS (p = 0.03). Five-year bPFS rates in the nVHR and VHR groups were 76.9% and 25.0%, respectively. There was a significant difference in bPFS between the nVHR and VHR groups (p = 0.023) by Kaplan–Meier analysis. Conclusions: Although our study included a small number of cases, at least in our exploration, NCHT was safe and feasible. However, more extensive treatment modalities are needed to improve outcomes, especially in VHR patients.