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ASCO 2014 ----> Three key PCa Items to watch.

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Posted 5/12/2014 10:01 PM (GMT 0)
Three key items for advanced cases to watch:

1. CHAARTED (Early use of docetaxel chemotherapy versus delayed chemotherapy)
2. Enzalutamide Approval for 2014 for pre-chemtherapy settings. (FDA approval for Xtandi for chemo naive patients)
3. S1216 Accrual and Changes to protocol. (TAK700 arms needs lest monitoring tests)

Here is a summary from ASCO2013 and a video from USC's Dr. Davis Quinn
advancedpcatalk.freeforums.net/thread/116/asco-2014-big-announcements

I'll be at ASCO 2014 and will be attending all three seminars. Other key items will be discussing early detection tools.
Posted 5/12/2014 11:34 PM (GMT 0)
Tony,

What's the latest these days on ARN-509?

Is that on approval path anytime soon?

Thanks,
Jerry
Posted 5/13/2014 3:45 PM (GMT 0)
Jerry,
ARN-509 is still in Phase III trial with results not expected this year. It is an AR drug like abiraterone, enzalutamide, TAK-700 and bicalutamide. If it clears trial it wont be known in what setting it would be favorable over the others for some time.
Posted 5/13/2014 3:58 PM (GMT 0)
I was told ASCO considers Proton therapy to be experimental and investigative. Does anyone have the link to this?
Posted 5/13/2014 5:29 PM (GMT 0)
dennis h, ASTRO (not ASCO) is the overseeing body. Proton beam radiation therapy (PBRT) for prostate cancer is widely considered to be immature, based primarily on the eye-raising scarcity of peer-reviewed studies documenting benefits. With the scant number of publications, most “believe” that PBRT is equally as safe and effective as other forms of treatment for localized PC, but the question today is really whether it is an safer or more effective than the other far less costly forms of radiotherapy. In the absence of data, most the news on PBRT is “buyer beware; you are being marketed to!”   PBRT is an expensive solution looking for a problem to solve, and the boom in prostate cancer diagnoses in the last decade has now been figured into their business plans for growth.
Posted 5/13/2014 6:21 PM (GMT 0)
Interesting,
Proton Beam therapy has been around longer than IMRT, modern brachytherapy, and all forms of IGRT and SBRT. When Loma Linda started doing PBT in the early 90's it was indeed a new approach that was superior to forms of EBRT that were available at the time. But today's use of markers, and image guided technologies has made the argument quite difficult to define which is better. In addition, as NKinney points out, there has been little reporting of data and that has left the door open to concern about PBT.

But all that stated, there is some clear advantages to PBT. But whether there is any of prostate cancer therapy remains to be determined. Child cancers and brain tumors seem to have the best results for PBT as it is a precision beam. But eventually that precision came into question when PBT centers started doing combined PBT + IMRT treatments to improve results for high risk cases. Thus it is that too precise can be a negative it seems.

Cost has improved over the years since there are now several centers that have PBT. Thus 6 figures for therapy have in fact been reduced though it is still the highest of all treatments for localized prostate cancer. In addition many of the claims of success, like all treatment modalities, are taking a big hit right now as many Gleason 6 men are statistically included when in fact many of them could probably have skipped treatment altogether. So it is that all treatment statistics that have a high volume of low risk men in the equation will be undergoing scrutiny as we continue to see an increase in the use of active surveillance.

In the mean time, Loma Linda is having no trouble finding new men to treat and does not advertise having an AS program today.

I find that part disappointing.
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