We previously reported that enzalutamide improved overall survival when added to standard of care in metastatic, hormone-sensitive prostate cancer. Here, we report its effects on aspects of health-related quality of life (HRQL).

HRQL was assessed with the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer core quality-of-life questionnaire and QLM-PR25 at weeks 0, 4, 12, and then every 12 weeks until progression. Scores from week 4 to 156 were analyzed with repeated measures modeling to calculate group means and differences. Deterioration-free survival was from random assignment until the earliest of death, clinical progression, discontinuation of study treatment, or a worsening of 10 points or more from baseline in fatigue, physical function, cognitive function, or overall health and quality of life (OHQL). HRQL scores range from 0 (lowest possible) to 100 (highest possible).

HRQL was assessed in 1,042 of 1,125 participants (93%). Differences in means favored control over enzalutamide for fatigue (5.2, 95% CI, 3.6 to 6.9; < .001), cognitive function (4.0, 95% CI, 2.5 to 5.5; < .001), and physical function (2.6, 95% CI, 1.3 to 3.9; < .001), but not OHQL (1.2, 95% CI, -0.2 to 2.7; = .1). Deterioration-free survival rates at 3 years, and log-rank values comparing the whole distributions, favored enzalutamide over control for OHQL (31% 17%; < .0001), cognitive function (31% 20%; = .001), and physical function (31% 22%; < .001), but not fatigue (24% 18%; = .16). The effects of enzalutamide on HRQL were independent of baseline characteristics.

Enzalutamide was associated with worsening of self-reported fatigue, cognitive function, and physical function, but not OHQL. Enzalutamide was associated with improved deterioration-free survival for OHQL, physical function, and cognitive function because delays in disease progression outweighed early deteriorations in these aspects of HRQL.