2017 Genitourinary Cancers Symposium

gu_symposium_2017_img_3054The 2017 Genitourinary (GU) Cancer Symposium kicked off on February 16th in Orlando, Florida, bringing together more than 3,000 attendees from all over the world. At this annual conference, clinicians from a wide range of disciplines treating people with prostate cancer, kidney cancer, bladder cancer, and testicular cancer come together to hear from experts on the latest scientific discoveries and how they impact clinical care for patients.

The Weill Cornell Medicine (WCM) and NewYork-Presbyterian (NYP) GU Oncology team is down in the Sunshine State highlighting the cutting-edge research and patient care that has been taking place back on campus in New York City.

twitter-iconTeam member Dr. Bishoy Faltas was selected by the conference to be a “Featured Voice” on Twitter, so be sure to follow him (@DrFaltas) for updates in real-time. Dr. Scott Tagawa (@DrScottTagawa) is now on Twitter too and also tweeting live from the symposium. The official conference hashtag is #GU17.

Some #GU17 highlights

Day 1 – The initial session focused on active surveillance for prostate cancer, including using both imaging as well as tissue biomarkers to help select optimal patients for surveillance versus those who should undergo surgery or radiation. A subsequent session focused on prostate cancer that progresses despite therapy and the pathways of resistance that can develop. This included a discussion of prostate cancer subtypes that become independent of the androgen-receptor (hormonal) pathway, including aggressive variant and neuroendocrine prostate cancer (NEPC). Neuroendocrine prostate cancer is one of the most aggressive and treatment-resistant types of prostate cancer that most often evolves from prior hormonal therapy.

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Dr. Misha Beltran and Dr. Gerhardt Attard are two of the primary investigators for the 2016-2018 Movember Foundation-PCF Challenge Award

Dr. Gerhardt Attard at the Institute of Cancer Research in London, gave a great talk on the value of circulating tumor DNA in prostate cancer. He spoke about the collaborative grant from the Movember Foundation and the Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF) that he, Dr. Misha Beltran and others have used to develop signature ways to confirm neuroendocrine prostate cancer with a blood test. An additional collaborative grant will allow optimization of this technology across a larger number of centers. Learn more about this prestigious Movember Foundation-PCF Challenge Award and how we’re using genomic characterization of tumors in less invasive ways in order to bring precision medicine – or narrowly tailored, personalized treatment – to more patients.

evi_taxynergy_gu-symposium_jpgDr. Evi Giannakakou explains to a crowd of physician-scientists results from our TAXYNERGY clinical trial showing additional evidence of using cancer cells circulating in the blood, also referred to as circulating tumor cells or CTCs, as a primary biomarker for chemotherapy response. This research validated prior work regarding the mechanism of action of chemotherapy in prostate cancer and demonstrates that using a simple blood draw, within one week of first chemotherapy treatment, we’re able to determine whether men with metastatic prostate cancer have a higher chance of responding. In the future, this might spare men from additional treatment (with associated side effects) with a drug that has a lower chance of working. For additional background information on this research, check out our prior in-depth blog post on the topic.

jok9106Dr. Josephine Kang, a radiation oncologist at WCM/NYP, presented a poster on Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy (SBRT), which is an emerging treatment modality with excellent control rates for low- and intermediate-risk prostate cancer. The role of SBRT for high-risk prostate cancer has not been studied as closely, but this trial showed encouraging results for those with high-risk disease. These results are very encouraging, as the treatment can be completed in 5 treatments. Additionally, this data longitudinally followed men treated with this modality for 7 years, and it appears to be a safe and effective treatment for high-risk prostate carcinoma. SBRT may be a good treatment alternative particularly for patients unable to undergo hormonal therapy (androgen receptor therapy/ADT) or unwilling to receive standard 8-9 week radiation therapy. More research is ongoing. Learn more about our open clinical trial using this modality. Another study will soon be opening.

In the oral abstract session, data was presented from a cooperative group trial that the older chemotherapy drug mitoxantrone should not be used immediately following surgery. Assays from biopsy material can separate different classes of prostate cancer with different risk for inferior outcomes. Blood biomarkers utilizing circulating tumor cells appear to be prognostic and potentially predictive of response to certain drugs. We are currently participating in a study to validate this data across multiple institutions and technology platforms.

In the keynote lecture, Dr. Charles Drake who recently joined the NYP family at Columbia discussed the current status and future directions of immunotherapy for prostate cancer.

Stay tuned for additional updates throughout the symposium!

You’re Invited: Celebrate the End of Movember!

Each November, we are proud to participate in the Movember campaign by growing moustaches and raising money to increase awareness and support for men’s health issues. The Movember Foundation is committed to funding research that will halve the number of deaths from prostate and testicular cancer by 2030. At Weill Cornell Medicine, we too are committed to reducing cancer deaths and increasing cures, and we’ve been fortunate to receive many Movember research grants over the past several years.

We hope you can join us for a happy hour to raise money for this important cause and to celebrate the end of Movember! It’s also your last chance to see our ‘staches until next year.

Where?
Draught 55
245 East 55th Street
New York, NY 10022
When?
Thursday, December 1, 2016
6:30pm  – 8:30pm

Buy your tickets today for the early bird special– $35 includes 2 complimentary drinks, food, a chance to win an iPad mini, and more!

All ticket proceeds will be matched and benefit our Movember team, the Wild Weill Cornell Mos.

Special thanks to Bill Foxx and Onco360 for sponsoring the complimentary food and beverages. 

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Learn more about our participation in Movember, why we’re so committed to the cause, and other ways you can get involved.

Movember 2016

Movember_Drs Nanus Beltran TagawaFor the 7th year in a row, we are proud to participate in a month-long campaign to raise awareness and funds for men’s health issues each November, also known as Movember.

The Movember Campaign helps men live happier, healthier and longer lives through investing in prostate cancer and testicular cancer screening and research, as well as mental health issues.

What’s Movember?

The initiative started in Australia in 2003, when two friends decided to try to bring back the moustache trend by growing out moustaches during the month of November. The following year, after they realized that this facial hair was quite the conversation-starter, they decided to channel that energy to raise money for prostate cancer research.

Over the next few years, both the moustaches and audiences grew. The fundraiser gained traction in Australia and New Zealand. In 2007, Movember officially launched globally with partnerships in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and Spain, all with one cause in mind – to change the face of men’s health – literally and figuratively through increased awareness and funds.

movember_group_wgcToday, more than 5 million “Mo Bros” and “Mo Sistas” from more than 20 countries around the world have collectively raised over $700 million dollars to fund 1,200 men’s health projects.

How can you get involved?

A number of different ways!

  1. Join our Movember team. Our team, the Wild Weill Cornell Mos, is committed to raising awareness and funds for a cause that is near and dear to our hearts.
  2. Grow a moustache. How low can you grow? Make a statement! Commit to going razor-free and growing a moustache in solidarity this month. It’s a great conversation starter to encourage friends and family members to donate to Movember.
  3. Get moving! Take the Move challenge and increase your physical activity. You can “Fly for the Guys” by teaming up with us at two special Flywheel spin classes to benefit the Wild Weill Mos Movember Team. Never taken a spin class before? This is the perfect opportunity to try it out, and there will be many beginners. Mark your calendars and sign up today:
  1. Make a donation. Donate now to support our team.
  2. Get checked. Research shows that many men only go to the doctor when they’re sick. In honor of Movember, make an appointment to visit your doctor for an annual physical or encourage a loved one to visit the doctor. Many diseases can be prevented or at least treated when caught early, including cancer.
  3. Socialize and celebrate with us at Draught 55 on Thursday, December 1st. 100% of the proceeds from ticket sales will be matched and donated to Movember.

What type of research has been funded by Movember?

Movember is committed to funding research that will halve the number of deaths from prostate and testicular cancer by 2030. The Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF), one of our partners in research, is partnered with Movember to distribute funds to the most worthy scientific teams and projects.

pcf-retreatWe at Weill Cornell Medicine have been fortunate to receive many of these grants over the past several years. Some of these recent Movember-PCF Challenge Grants have funded our research to study:

  • Blood tests that assess the tumor’s circulating DNA to predict reasons for treatment resistance
  • Circulating tumor cell (CTC) tests to predict which patients are more or less likely to respond to hormonal therapy or chemotherapy
  • Assessing the genome of “primary” tumors (i.e. the initial tumors in the prostate) compared to advanced, treatment resistant tumors
  • Evaluating inflammation in adipose (fat) tissue around the prostate, which is associated with tumor growth.

Learn more about the cutting-edge research funded by the PCF-Movember Challenge Grants in 2016, 2015 and 2014.