Depth of PSA nadir and subsequent PSA progression-free survival in patients (pts) with high-risk biochemically relapsed prostate cancer: Results from the phase 3 PRESTO study (AFT-19).
Authors: Aggarwal Rahul Raj , Dooley Katherine , Hillman David W. , Xiao Han , Picus Joel , Taplin Mary-Ellen , Dorff Tanya B. , Appleman Leonard Joseph , Weckstein Douglas Jay , Patnaik Akash , Bryce Alan Haruo , Shevrin Daniel H. , Mohler James L. , Anderson Daniel M. , Heller Glenn , Halabi Susan , Tan Alan , Eggener Scott E. , Ryan Charles J. , Morris Michael J. 
Published: June 2023

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Background: In the phase 3 PRESTO study, intensified androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) with apalutamide (Apa) with or without abiraterone acetate plus prednisone (AAP), administered for a finite treatment period of 52 weeks, prolonged prostate-specific antigen progression-free survival (PSA PFS) in pts with high-risk biochemically relapsed prostate cancer (BRPC). We evaluated the association between PSA nadir within 3 months of treatment initiation with subsequent PSA PFS in this study. Methods: PRESTO is a randomized phase 3, open-label trial in pts with BRPC following radical prostatectomy (RP) and PSA doubling time (PSADT) ≤ 9 months, without distant metastases on conventional imaging (NCT03009981). Pts were randomized 1:1:1 to receive a finite 52-week treatment course with ADT, ADT + Apa, or ADT + Apa + AAP, stratified by PSADT (< 3 vs 3–9 months), with post-treatment follow-up. The association between PSA nadir within the first three months on treatment with subsequent PSA PFS was analyzed in a post hoc fashion. Results: 504 pts were randomized to ADT alone (N = 167), ADT + Apa (N = 168) or ADT + Apa + AAP (N = 169). 463 pts were evaluable for PSA nadir at 3 months. Across the three treatment arms, a PSA nadir of less than 0.1, between 0.1 – 0.2, and ≥ 0.2 ng/mL within the first three months of treatment was observed in 86.3%, 4.4%, and 9.3% of patients, respectively. A PSA nadir of < 0.2 ng/mL was reached within 3 months of treatment initiation in 79.8%, 96.9%, and 95.0% of pts randomized to the ADT, ADT + Apa, and ADT + Apa + AAP arms, respectively. The association between time to PSA nadir and subsequent PSA PFS was -0.30 (standard error = 0.03, Kendall’s tau modified for bivariate censoring), and median time to PSA nadir was 2.0 months (interquartile range 1.12 – 4.76 months). Failure to reach a PSA nadir < 0.2 ng/mL within the first three months of treatment was associated with a significantly shorter PSA PFS compared to pts with a PSA nadir ≤ 0.1 ng/mL (median PSA PFS of 13.9 vs. 22.8 months from 3 months post-treatment initiation; hazard ratio = 5.60, 95% CI: 3.58 – 8.75, p < 0.0001). There was also a significant difference in PSA PFS in those with a three-month PSA nadir between 0.1 – 0.2 vs ≤ 0.1 ng/mL (median PSA PFS 17.4 vs 22.8 months, HR = 2.63, 95:CI: 1.49 – 4.63, p = 0.0008). Conclusions: Using a landmark analysis at 3 months, a failure to reach PSA nadir less than 0.1 ng/mL within three months following initiation of ADT in BRPC is associated with shorter time to subsequent progression following treatment discontinuation. Follow-up is ongoing to integrate genomic profiling of primary prostate cancer tissues and whole blood RNA in pts with suboptimal PSA nadir to identify potential markers of relative androgen pathway inhibitor resistance. Clinical trial information: NCT03009981 .