Perioperative Propranolol During Prostatectomy to Decrease Cancer Recurrence — PeP-RALP  

Prostate Cancer Clinical Trial

Official title: Perioperative Propranolol in Robotic Assisted Laparoscopic Prostatectomy- A Feasibility Study of Propranolol to Target Perioperative Stress Induced Cancer Progression

Status Completed

Clinical Trial Summary

The purpose of this study is to assess the feasibility of conducting a larger randomized controlled trial to assess the efficacy of perioperative propranolol capsules compared with placebo capsules in decreasing recurrence of prostate cancer (PCa) after robotic assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy (RALP) in participants with intermediate to high-risk for prostate cancer recurrence.

Clinical Trial Description

PCa is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in Norway (2020) and RALP is the most frequent curative treatment offered to men with non-metastatic PCa. Biochemical recurrence (BCR) is estimated to occur to 40% of patients with EAU IR and HR PCa. Attempts to combat the high recurrence rates after RALP with neoadjuvant treatment, aiming to reduce the local tumor burden and treat possible micrometastasis, has of yet not proven beneficial.

The prostate is highly innervated and recent evidence has shown the importance of nerves in the development and progression of PCa. The action of particularly adrenergic nerves, in sum lead to a pro-cancerous and metastatic state by influencing key hallmarks of cancer like apoptosis resistance, angiogenesis, immune suppression, invasiveness and metastasis.

Perioperative stress caused by the cancer surgery, in this case RALP, has been found to promote cancer progression and recurrence both by enhancing growth of preexisting residual tumor/micrometastasis and facilitating formation of new metastasis. The surgical stress response cause a catecholamine-induced cancer progression where β2-adrenergic receptor (ADRB2) have a key role.

Our newly published pharma co-epidemiologic study indicate perioperative stress can be targeted by a non-selective ß-blocker (nsBB) like propranolol [1]. RCTs have found perioperative administration of propranolol alone, or in conjunction with COX-2 inhibition, to be safe and to reduce biomarkers associated with poor prognosis compared with the control group receiving placebo medication in patients undergoing radical surgery for breast-, ovarian- and colorectal cancer [2-7}.

The result of our register study, together with existing evidence of an effect of propranolol/nsBBs, provides foundation for PeP-RALP, a pilot study to establish the recruitment- and infrastructure feasibility of a double-blinded, placebo controlled RCT. The results of this pilot study will be used to investigate the feasibility of a formal larger RCT aiming to assess efficacy of perioperative propranolol to reduce PCa recurrence and progression after RALP. ;

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Prostate Cancer
• Prostatic Neoplasms

• NCT number: NCT05679193
• Study type: Interventional
• Source: Oslo University Hospital
• Status: Completed
• Phase: Phase 2
• Start date: January 2, 2023
• Completion date: January 27, 2024