Clinical Efficacy of Bipolar Androgen Therapy in Men with Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer and Combined Tumor-Suppressor Loss

Bipolar androgen therapy (BAT) relies on oscillating levels of serum testosterone as a way to treat patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). Aggressive-variant prostate cancers typically require combination chemotherapy and are frequently associated with loss-of-function mutations in tumor suppressor genes. Here we report clinical outcomes after BAT among patients with mCRPC harboring pathogenic alterations in at least two of three genes: TP53, PTEN, and RB1. In this setting, BAT induced a meaningful PSA(50) response rate, progression-free survival and overall survival, particularly in patients without prior chemotherapy. PATIENT SUMMARY: Bipolar androgen therapy, in which drugs are used to raise testosterone levels and then allow them to decrease again in a cycle, may be a safe and effective treatment for prostate cancer that is resistant to testosterone suppression and has mutations in tumor suppressor genes. A randomized study comparing this approach to chemotherapy is needed to confirm the findings.