Feasibility of abiraterone acetate treatment in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer and atrial fibrillation

• Main Authors: Simon Rauch, Dominic Fong, Elisa Morra, Francesca Maines, Orazio Caffo, Gilbert Spizzo
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier 2016-06-01
• Series: Prostate International
• Subjects: Abiraterone acetate; Atrial fibrillation; Prostate cancer
• Online Access: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2287888215301057

Background: Abiraterone acetate (AA), a selective inhibitor of the CYP17 enzyme, demonstrated a significant improvement in the treatment of patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. The risk of endocrine side effects, mainly an increased adrenal mineralocorticoid production, could limit its use in patients with atrial fibrillation. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the clinical records of 85 metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer patients treated with AA at our institutions and identified six patients suffering from concomitant atrial fibrillation. Results: In these six patients, the median duration of AA treatment was 11.5 months (range 4–22 months) with a biochemical response in three patients. No significant cardiac events were observed during the treatment. Conclusion: Our data suggest that AA may be safely administered in patients with atrial fibrillation.