Angiogenesis and anti-angiogenic therapy in prostate cancer

Inhibition of angiogenic pathways has proven an effective strategy for the treatment of several common solid tumors however its role in the management of prostate cancer is yet to be defined. Advances in clinical research have resulted in five new treatments for metastatic prostate cancer in the last two years. The immunotherapy sipuleucel-T, the cytotoxic cabazitaxel, the androgen biosynthesis inhibitor abiraterone acetate, the radioisotope radium-223 and the antiandrogen enzalutamide have all been shown to improve overall survival in randomized phase III studies treatment paradigms are changing rapidly. Angiogenesis is known to play a central role in the progression of advanced prostate cancer however established antiangiogenic therapies including bevacizumab and sunitinib have failed to improve survival in randomized trials to date. Novel treatment combinations and novel agents such as cabozantinib are showing promising early results and it is hoped that further well-designed studies will validate the strong biological hypothesis for the benefit of antiangiogenic therapy to improve outcomes for patients with prostate cancer.