Understanding the Current Therapeutic Landscape for Advanced Prostate Cancer

Abstract

Treatment of advanced prostate cancer has improved rapidly in the past two decades with the introduction of many new therapeutics including several entirely new therapeutic classes. Whereas androgen deprivation therapy was previously the first and only line of treatment available, modern therapy also routinely employs second generation anti-androgens, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, radiopharmaceuticals, bone modifying agents, and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors, with a resulting substantial increase in patient survival. This review aims to summarize the current treatment landscape for advanced prostate cancer, with a particular focus on hormone refractory (also known as ‘castration resistant’) prostate cancer (HRPC), and we hope will serve as a practical guide for clinicians and trainees.