Additional analysis of the secondary end point of biochemical recurrence rate in a phase 3 trial (CS21) comparing degarelix [amount hidden] versus leuprolide in prostate cancer patients segmented by baseline characteristics

Plain-language guide to PMID 19962227 (2010): open-label randomized controlled trial study of Leuprolide and Degarelix in 610 patients.

Key Facts

PMID: 19962227
Journal: European urology
Year: 2010
Study type: Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Tombal B et al. (10 authors)
DOI: 10.1016/j.eururo.2009.11.029

What This Study Did, in Plain Language

What Was Tested

Researchers studied Leuprolide and Degarelix in this randomized controlled trial publication.

To compare the activity of degarelix and leuprolide regarding PSA recurrence-free survival.

Who Took Part

According to the abstract, 610 patients were involved.

The age groups tagged for this paper are older adults, men only.

Overall, 610 patients with histologically confirmed prostate cancer (all stages), for whom androgen deprivation therapy was indicated, were included.

How the Study Was Run

The researchers set it up as a randomized, open-label and multicenter study.

The patients were allocated by chance, so the Leuprolide group and the comparison group should start out alike.

Everyone knew when Leuprolide was being given (open label), which is simpler to run but leaves more room for expectations to affect what is reported.

Running at several centres spread the Leuprolide study over different clinics and patient groups.

Effects of baseline disease stage (localised, locally advanced, and metastatic) and PSA level (<10, 10-20, >20-50, and >50 ng/ml) were analysed.

What Was Measured

Topics PubMed links to this paper include Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal, Disease-Free Survival, Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone, Leuprolide, Neoplasm Recurrence, Local, Oligopeptides and Prostate-Specific Antigen.

What This Means in Plain Language

The paper is a randomized, open-label and multicenter study of Leuprolide and Degarelix in 610 patients.

With several hundred people or more, it is a fairly large study for this kind of research.

Its findings take up roughly 7 sentences of the abstract and are left out here on purpose; the source paper is the place to read them.

The publication is from 2010 (European urology), a journal based in Switzerland.

More context: the Leuprolide compound page and the Degarelix compound page, all human trials.

Our Notes on the Compounds

Leuprolide: A 9-amino-acid GnRH analog (Lupron, Eligard) that lowers sex-hormone levels with ongoing use; used in prostate cancer, endometriosis and early puberty.

Degarelix: A GnRH antagonist injection (Firmagon) for advanced prostate cancer that lowers testosterone within days without the initial surge seen with agonists.

Source: PubMed record. This explanation is written by PeptideWhiz from the public record. For research and education only. Not medical advice; no dosing information is given.