Neoadjuvant Therapies for Prostate Cancer–Current Paradigms and Future Directions
Simple Summary
Abstract
1. Introduction
2. Biological Rationale for Neoadjuvant Therapy
3. First-Generation ADT
3.1. Biological and Methodological Explanations
3.2. Lessons and Contemporary Insights
4. Chemotherapy
4.1. Evidence from Trials
4.2. Current Position of Chemotherapy
5. ARPIs
5.1. Evidence from Phase II Trials
5.2. Translational Insights
6. Radioligand Therapy
Future Directions and Perspectives
7. Genomic and Immunologic Strategies
7.1. DDR-Directed Therapy and PARP Inhibition
7.2. Immune-Targeted Approaches
8. Future Directions and Perspective
9. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Data Availability Statement
Conflicts of Interest
Abbreviations
| ADT | Androgen deprivation therapy |
| AR | Androgen receptor |
| ARPI | Androgen receptor pathway inhibitor |
| AUA | American Urological Association |
| BCR | Biochemical recurrence |
| bRFS | Biochemical recurrence-free survival |
| CI | Confidence Interval |
| CRPC | Castration-resistant prostate cancer |
| DDR | DNA damage repair |
| EBRT | External beam radiotherapy |
| EAU | European Association of Urology |
| HRR | Homologous recombination repair |
| MFS | Metastasis-free survival |
| MRD | Minimal residual disease |
| NCCN | National Comprehensive Cancer Network |
| OS | Overall Survival |
| PCa | Prostate cancer |
| PARP | Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase |
| PD-L1 | Programmed death-ligand 1 |
| PET | Positron emission tomography |
| pCR | Pathological complete response |
| PI3K | Phosphoinositide 3-kinase |
| PSA | Prostate-specific antigen |
| PSMA | Prostate-specific membrane antigen |
| RLT | Radioligand therapy |
| RP | Raidcal prostatectomy |
| RT | Radiotherapy |
| SUV | Standardised uptake value |
| TME | Tumour microenvironment |
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| Authors/Trial | Phase/Design | Eligibility/Population | Therapy | Key Findings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ARPI ± ADT | ||||
| ARNEO [22] | Randomised Phase II | High-risk localised PCa (Gleason score ≥ 8, PSA > 20 or cT3) | Degarelix ± Apalutamide vs. placebo for 3 months prior to RP | MRD achieved in 38% vs. 9.1% Benefit for PTEN-intact |
| PROTEUS [23] | Double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase III | High-risk/locally advanced | Apalutamide + ADT vs. Placebo + ADT for 6 months pre- and post-RP | Ongoing with ~1500 patients Results expected 2026 |
| McKay et al. [13] | Randomised Phase II | Intermediate- or high-risk localised PCa (n = 75) | Enzalutamide + LHRH vs. Enzalutamide + Abiraterone/Prednisolone + LHRH for 6 months | pCR 30% vs. 16% (p = 0.26) |
| McKay et al. [24] | Randomised Phase II | High-risk localised PCa (n = 118) | Apalutamide + Abiraterone/Prednisolone + LHRH vs. Abiraterone/Prednisolone + LHRH | pCR 22% vs. 20% 3-year BCRFS 81% vs. 72% (HR 0.81, 95% CI: 0.43–1.49) |
| ENZARAD phase III trial (ANZUP 1303/NCT0244644) [14] | Randomised Phase III | High-risk localised or locally advanced PCa (n = 802) | Enzalutamide 160 mg OD vs. non-steroidal anti-androgen for 6 months + 24 months of ADT and RT | Improved effects of Enzalutamide on MFS in two groups: N1 disease (p = 0.04) and planned pelvic RT (p < 0.001) |
| ATLAS trial (NCT0253516) [15] | Randomised Phase III | High-rish localised or locally advanced PCa (n = 1503) | Apalutamide + ADT vs. Placebo + ADT | Ongoing |
| Chemohormonal | ||||
| ACDC-RP (Fleshner et al.) [25] | Randomised Phase II | High-risk localised PCa (n = 70) | Abirateroner + LHRH ± Cabazitaxel for 6 months pre-RP | CR or MRD 44% Adding Cabazitaxel no added benefit |
| Alliance CALGB 90203 (update from 2020) [26] | Randomised Phase III | High-risk localised PCa (n = 788) | 6 cycles Docetaxel + ADT vs. RP alone | Improved MFS (HR 0.70, 95% CI: 0.51–0.95) and OS (0.6, 95% CI: 0.40–0.94) |
| PEACE 2 [27] | Randomised Phase III | High-risk localised PCa | 4 arms: (1) Prostate-only RT + 3 years ADT; (2) Prostate + Pelvic RT + 3 years ADT; (3) Prostate only RT + 3 years ADT + Cabzaitaxel; (4) Prostate + Pelvic RT + 3 years ADT + Cabzatiaxel | Results pending |
| DDR/PARP-Directed therapy | ||||
| NePtune (NCT05498272) [28] | Single-arm Phase II | High-risk/locally advanced BRCA 1/2+ PCa | Olaparib + LHRH for 6 months pre-RP | Ongoing Tolerability acceptance |
| GUNS (NCT04812366) [29] | Adaptive umbrella Phase II | High-risk PCa stratified by genomic alterations | LHRH + Apalutamide lead-in → Biomarker-matched arms | Ongoing Results indicating ETS fusion, FOXA1, SPOP associated with higher rates of MRD |
| Radioligand therapy | ||||
| LuTectomy [16] | Single-arm Phase I/II | High-risk PCA (ISUP 3–5, PSA > 20, cT2+, N1, PSMA SUVmax > 20) | One 5 GBq dose of [177Lu]Lu-PSMA-617 6 weeks pre-RP | 45% had >50% PSA decline Well tolerated No surgical morbidity |
| Golan et al. [30] | Phase I | High-risk localised PCa | 2–3 cycles of [177Lu]Lu-PSMA-617 pre-RP | Median PSA decline 34% after 3 cycles |
| PRELUDE [31] | Single-arm Phase II | High-risk localised PCa | [177Lu]Lu-PSMA-617 prior to RP | Ongoing aiming to define optimal dosing |
| Immunotherapy | ||||
| Shenderov et al. [32] | Single-arm Phase II | Intermediate/high-risk localised PCa (n = 32) | Enoblituzumab 6 weeks pre-RP | 66% achieved undetectable PSA at 1 year Increased CD8+ T cell infiltration |
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Sandhu, K.; Al-Khanaty, A.; Hennes, D.; Chen, D.; Dinneen, E.; Delgado, C.; Lawrentschuk, N.; Eapen, R.S.; Murphy, D.G.; Perera, M. Neoadjuvant Therapies for Prostate Cancer–Current Paradigms and Future Directions. Cancers 2026, 18, 65. https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers18010065
Sandhu K, Al-Khanaty A, Hennes D, Chen D, Dinneen E, Delgado C, Lawrentschuk N, Eapen RS, Murphy DG, Perera M. Neoadjuvant Therapies for Prostate Cancer–Current Paradigms and Future Directions. Cancers. 2026; 18(1):65. https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers18010065
Chicago/Turabian StyleSandhu, Kieran, Abdullah Al-Khanaty, David Hennes, David Chen, Eoin Dinneen, Carlos Delgado, Nathan Lawrentschuk, Renu S. Eapen, Declan G. Murphy, and Marlon Perera. 2026. "Neoadjuvant Therapies for Prostate Cancer–Current Paradigms and Future Directions" Cancers 18, no. 1: 65. https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers18010065
APA StyleSandhu, K., Al-Khanaty, A., Hennes, D., Chen, D., Dinneen, E., Delgado, C., Lawrentschuk, N., Eapen, R. S., Murphy, D. G., & Perera, M. (2026). Neoadjuvant Therapies for Prostate Cancer–Current Paradigms and Future Directions. Cancers, 18(1), 65. https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers18010065

