[Androgen receptor inhibitors in prostate cancer: new drugs, but for which patient?].

The results of a recent randomised phase 3 clinical trial show that the androgen receptor antagonist darolutamide improves metastasis-free survival in men with non-metastatic, castration-resistant prostate cancer, compared with placebo. The trial included 1509 men with a prostate-specific antigen doubling time of 10 months or less. Non-metastatic disease was defined as the absence of metastases, using conventional imaging rather than the substantially more sensitive PSMA scans. The effect of darolutamide is similar to that of other androgen inhibitors, such as apalutamide and enzalutamide. The value of the current trial to Dutch clinical practice is limited, as the number of patients with non-metastatic, castration-resistant prostate cancer is low due to the increased use of PSMA scans and the reluctance of urologists to start androgen-deprivation therapy in the absence of metastatic disease.