DYNAMIC ANDROGEN RESPONSE INDEX AND ITS ASSOCIATION WITH BIOCHEMICAL RECURRENCE AFTER RADICAL PROSTATECTOMY FOLLOWING NEOADJUVANT ANDROGEN DEPRIVATION THERAPY
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15407/exp-oncology.2026.02.161Keywords:
prostate cancer, neoadjuvant androgen deprivation therapy, biochemical recurrence, predictive model, nomogram, androgen responseAbstract
Background. Neoadjuvant androgen deprivation therapy (NADT) before radical prostatectomy (RP) remains controversial in the management of localized and locally advanced prostate cancer. A major limitation of this strategy is the lack of biomarkers capable of identifying tumors biologically sensitive to androgen deprivation. This study aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of a dynamic androgen response index (IAR) and develop a predictive model for biochemical recurrence (BCR) after RP. Materials and Methods. The retrospective single-center study included 84 patients with prostate cancer treated with NADT followed by RP. The IAR was defined as the ratio between logarithmic slopes of PSA and testosterone decline during neoadjuvant therapy. Cox regression analysis was performed to identify predictors of BCR. A predictive model and nomogram were constructed based on independent predictors. Model performance was evaluated using ROC analysis, calibration plots, and decision curve analysis. Results. During a median follow-up of 56 months, BCR occurred in 62 patients. Clinical stage ≥ cT3a (HR 2.34; p = 0.003) and IAR (HR 1.48; p = 0.024) were independent predictors of BCR. The model demonstrated moderate discrimination (AUC 0.68) and satisfactory calibration. Conclusions. The IAR may reflect the biological responsiveness of prostate cancer to androgen deprivation. These findings should be considered hypothesis-generating and require further validation in the context of risk stratification for BCR following RP after NADT.
References
Sung H, Ferlay J, Siegel RL, et al. Global cancer statistics 2020: GLOBOCAN estimates of incidence and mortality worldwide for 36 cancers in 185 countries. CA Cancer J Clin. 2021;71(3):209-249. https://doi.org/10.3322/caac.21660
Luo X, Yi M, Hu Q, et al. Prostatectomy versus observation for localized prostate cancer: a meta-analysis. Scand J Surg. 2021;110(1):78-85. https://doi.org/10.1177/1457496919883962
Donohue JF, Bianco FJ Jr, Kuroiwa K, et al. Poorly differentiated prostate cancer treated with radical prostatectomy: long-term outcome and incidence of pathological downgrading. J Urol. 2006;176(3):991-995. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.juro.2006.04.048
Eastham JA, Heller G, Halabi S, et al. Radical prostatectomy with or without neoadjuvant chemohormonal therapy in localized high-risk prostate cancer. J Clin Oncol. 2020;38(26):3042-3050. https://doi.org/10.1200/JCO.20.00434
Kumar S, Shelley M, Harrison C, et al. Neoadjuvant and adjuvant hormone therapy for localized and locally advanced prostate cancer. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2006;(4):CD006019. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD006019
Soloway MS, Pareek K, Sharifi R, et al. Neoadjuvant androgen ablation before radical prostatectomy in cT2bNxM0 prostate cancer: 5-year results. J Urol. 2002;167(1):112-116. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0022-5347(05)65392-8
Schulman CC, Debruyne FM, Forster G, et al. 4-year follow-up results of a European prospective randomized study on neoadjuvant hormonal therapy prior to radical prostatectomy in T2-3N0M0 prostate cancer. Eur Urol. 2000;38(6):706-713. https://doi.org/10.1159/000020366
Hussain M, Tangen CM, Higano C, et al. Absolute prostate-specific antigen value after androgen deprivation is a strong independent predictor of survival in metastatic prostate cancer. J Clin Oncol. 2006;24(24):3984-3990. https://doi.org/10.1200/JCO.2005.05.9801
Scher HI, Halabi S, Tannock I, et al. Design and end points of clinical trials for patients with progressive prostate cancer and castrate testosterone levels. J Clin Oncol. 2008;26(7):1148-1159. https://doi.org/10.1200/JCO.2007.12.4487
Foo M, Lavieri M, Pickles T. Impact of neoadjuvant prostate-specific antigen kinetics on biochemical failure and prostate cancer mortality. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2013;85(2):385-392. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijrobp.2012.04.017
Kang YJ, Jang WS, Kwon JK, et al. Intermediate PSA half-life after neoadjuvant hormone therapy predicts reduced risk of castration-resistant prostate cancer development after radical prostatectomy. BMC Cancer. 2017;17(1):789. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12885-017-3467-6
McDonald AM, Jacob R, Yang ES, et al. PSA response to neoadjuvant androgen deprivation is an independent prognostic marker and may identify patients who benefit from treatment escalation. Urol Oncol. 2014;32(5):687-693. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.urolonc.2013.10.004
Sandhu K, Al-Khanaty A, Hennes D, et al. Neoadjuvant therapies for prostate cancer: Current paradigms and future directions. Cancers (Basel). 2025;18(1):65. https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers18010065
Yanagisawa T, Rajwa P, Quhal F, et al. Neoadjuvant androgen receptor signaling inhibitors before radical prostatectomy for non-metastatic advanced prostate cancer: A systematic review. J Pers Med. 2023;13(4):641. https://doi.org/10.3390/jpm13040641
McKay RR, Ye H, Xie W, et al. Evaluation of intense androgen deprivation before prostatectomy: A randomized phase II trial. J Clin Oncol. 2019;37(11):923-931. https://doi.org/10.1200/JCO.18.01245
Montgomery B, Tretiakova MS, Joshua AM, et al. Neoadjuvant enzalutamide prior to prostatectomy. Clin Cancer Res. 2017;23(9):2169-2176. https://doi.org/10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-16-2523
Gomez Rivas J, Ortega Polledo LE, De La Parra Sanchez I, et al. Current status of neoadjuvant treatment before surgery in high-risk localized prostate cancer. Cancers (Basel). 2024;17(1):99. https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers1701XXXX
Partin AW, Mangold LA, Lamm DM, et al. Contemporary update of prostate cancer staging nomograms for the new millennium. Urology. 2001;58(6):843-848. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0090-4295(01)01434-8
Cooperberg MR, Pasta DJ, Elkin EP, et al. The University of California San Francisco cancer of the prostate risk assessment score: A reliable predictor of recurrence. J Urol. 2005;173(6):1938-1942. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.ju.0000158155.33890.e7
Kattan MW, Eastham JA, Stapleton AM, et al. A preoperative nomogram for disease recurrence following radical prostatectomy. J Natl Cancer Inst. 1998;90(10):766-771. https://doi.org/10.1093/jnci/90.10.766
Submitted: April 01, 2026
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Experimental Oncology

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
