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Impact of Abiraterone Therapeutic Drug Monitoring on Cortisol as a Surrogate Biomarker of CYP17 Inhibition in Metastatic Prostate Cancer Treatment.

Abstract

METHODS

In this retrospective cohort study, patients with mCRPC receiving abiraterone with TDM based on abiraterone plasma concentrations were compared with a historical cohort receiving standard care. The primary end point was adequate CYP17 inhibition, defined as cortisol plasma concentration <6.18 nmol/L. Secondary end points included the time course of cortisol plasma concentrations and the impact of PK-guided interventions.

CONCLUSIONS

In the TDM population, lower cortisol plasma concentrations were observed. However, it is unclear whether increasing abiraterone exposure through PK-guided interventions decreased cortisol plasma concentrations.

RESULTS

A total of 103 patients were included in the TDM population, and 99 were included in the historical cohort. Median cortisol plasma concentrations were lower in the TDM population [1.9 (95% confidence interval 1.1-5.8) versus 3.9 (95% confidence interval 1.4-12.4] nmol/L, P = 0.01), with more patients achieving adequate CYP17 inhibition (75.7% versus 62.6%, P = 0.06). Of the 32 patients with evaluable data before and after PK-guided intervention, 96.9% reached adequate abiraterone concentrations; however, no significant improvement in adequate CYP17 inhibition was observed when comparing cortisol before and after PK-guided intervention (81.3% versus 71.9%, P = 0.45).

BACKGROUND

Prostate cancer is driven by androgen receptor activation caused by (dihydro)testosterone. Abiraterone, which is used against metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC), improves survival by irreversibly inhibiting CYP17 to reduce androgen and cortisol synthesis. As such, cortisol is a potential biomarker for androgen suppression. This study assessed the impact of pharmacokinetically (PK)-guided interventions after therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) of abiraterone on cortisol plasma concentrations as a biomarker for CYP17 inhibition in patients with mCRPC.

More about this publication

Therapeutic drug monitoring
  • Publication date 10-02-2026

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