Dr Chris Parker, Royal Marsden Cancer Centre, London, UK, talks to Dr Mary-Ellen Taplin, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, USA, about her presentation on the effect of neoadjuvant abiraterone acetate (AA) plus leuprolide acetate (LHRHa) on PSA, pathological complete response (pCR), and near pCR in localized high-risk prostate cancer. 

Dr Taplin comments on the exciting results of this phase II study that shows firstly that biopsies performed confirmed that abiraterone was lowering the androgen hormone levels in the tissue (not only in the blood as previously shown). Also that one third of patents had no or very little tumour left in their prostate after abiraterone therapy. Dr Taplin also comments on follow-up studies now being conducted.

This programme has been supported by an unrestricted educational grant from Janssen Pharmaceutica (A Johnson & Johnson Company).