William Oh, MD: The Side Effects of Prednisone in Combination with Abiraterone

Are there any side effects for prednisone in combination with abiraterone that are concerning for these patients?

Some people are concerned about whether prednisone might, in fact, increase the risks of abiraterone but in my practice I have not found that to be a significant concern. There are some patients who might develop some increased bruising, some patients might develop hyperglycemia, but for the most part because the dose is so low, only 10 mg a day, we have not had trouble administering abiraterone/prednisone to most of our patients, even if they’re prediabetic, for example, as long as they’re monitored closely.

CASE: Metastatic Prostate Cancer (Part 1)

Stanley S is an 83-year-old Caucasian male whose past medical history includes diagnosis of adenocarcinoma of the prostate in 2012 with no evidence of metastasis. At the time, he was started on bicalutamide and his serum PSA levels subsequently decreased to 1.2 ng/ml.

During his most recent follow-up exam, the patient complained of intermittent back pain and increasing fatigue.

• His serum PSA level is 56.9 ng/ml and his alkaline phosphatase is 258 U/L
• CT scan shows enlarged lumbar bone metastasis with associated soft tissue component, as well as symptomatic nodes with lumbar bone metastases
• Biopsies of the prostate and transrectal ultrasound reveal the prostate is 42 grams
• Ten of 14 cores are positive for prostate cancer for a Gleason score of 8 (4 + 4)
• His ECOG performance status score is a 2