In a recent multi-institutional trial from USA, the authors gave the drug pertuzumab to a group of patients with hormone resistant prostate cancer and observed any clinical responses.
The rationale for the trial was that the family of epidermal growth factor receptors are now regarded as highly important in the progressive unregulated growth of many carcinoma cells and their aberrant stimulation and down-stream signalling to cell survival and growth pathways are considered relevant to prostate cancer growth. Pertuzumab is a potent inhibitor of this pathway and there was the real hope that responses, akin to those seen in breast cancer with herceptin, might be observed.
Unfortunately no significant responses were seen in this cohort of patients. Whilst the research into the role of epidermal growth factor receptors in prostate cancer will undoubtedly continue, this has been a set-back in the research.
