Carboplatin, Cabazitaxel, and Abiraterone in High-Volume Metastatic Castration-Sensitive Prostate Cancer: The CASCARA Phase II Study

Clin Cancer Res. 2026 Jun 15;32(12):2403-2412. doi: 10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-25-4823.

Abstract

Purpose: This multicenter, single-arm, phase II trial evaluated the safety and efficacy of cabazitaxel and carboplatin followed by abiraterone, plus androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), in patients with high-volume metastatic castration-sensitive prostate cancer (mCSPC).

Patients and methods: Eligible patients had high-volume mCSPC and ≤3 months of prior ADT. Patients received six 21-day cycles of cabazitaxel (20 mg/m2) and carboplatin (AUC 4) with continuous ADT, followed by maintenance abiraterone (1,000 mg daily) and prednisone (5 mg daily). The primary endpoint was the proportion of patients free of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) or radiographic progression at 12 months. Secondary endpoints included complete PSA response (≤0.2 ng/mL), objective response, progression-free survival (PFS), and safety. Overall survival (OS) was also reported.

Results: Sixty-one participants were enrolled at eight sites. The median age was 64 years, median baseline PSA was 6.6 ng/mL (0.07-745.7 ng/mL), 73.3% had Gleason grade group 5, 69.5% had 10 or more metastases, and 19.6% had a homologous recombination repair (HRR) mutation. PSA PFS at 12 months was 84.6% [95% confidence interval (CI), 72.5%-91.7%], and OS at 12 months was 94.8% (84.7%-98.3%). Complete PSA response was 66.7%, and complete objective response was 30.7%. Contrary to our hypothesis, relative to HRR wild-type patients, HRR-mutated patients (19.6%) had numerically fewer complete PSA responses (33.3% vs. 70.3%) and inferior PFS (HR, 2.43; 95% CI, 0.93-6.39). Common side effects of this quadruplet regimen included fatigue, nausea, and diarrhea.

Conclusions: Cabazitaxel and carboplatin followed by abiraterone, together with ADT, were feasible, safe, and efficacious in patients with high-volume mCSPC and warrant further study in larger randomized trials.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial, Phase II
  • Multicenter Study

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Androstenes / administration & dosage
  • Androstenes / adverse effects
  • Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols* / adverse effects
  • Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols* / therapeutic use
  • Carboplatin / administration & dosage
  • Carboplatin / adverse effects
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Neoplasm Metastasis
  • Progression-Free Survival
  • Prostate-Specific Antigen / blood
  • Prostatic Neoplasms, Castration-Resistant* / drug therapy
  • Prostatic Neoplasms, Castration-Resistant* / mortality
  • Prostatic Neoplasms, Castration-Resistant* / pathology
  • Taxoids / administration & dosage
  • Taxoids / adverse effects
  • Treatment Outcome

Substances

  • abiraterone
  • Taxoids
  • cabazitaxel
  • Androstenes
  • Carboplatin
  • Prostate-Specific Antigen