On October 6th, we had Sanoj Punnen, MD (Co-Chair of the Genitourinary Site Disease Group at the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine) give a talk to our AS group titled “The Current State of Active Surveillance and How Active It Needs to Be”
Dr. Punnen said MRIs are playing an increasing role in diagnosing prostate cancer. He said MRIs must be performed before biopsies to target lesions.
“Get an MRI before a biopsy”, he stressed. ”MRI more likely do a better job of finding lesions appropriate for active surveillance.”
He said genomic and genetic testing can provide reassurance that AS is a safe path for individual patients.
He said he has long preferred transperineal biopsies over the so-called “gold standard” transrectal biopsies that carry a risk of deadly and disabling sepsis.
Dr. Punnen said if the MRI “looks good,” biopsies may need to be performed every three to five years rather than the annual biopsies that used to be performed in AS.
“One protocol will not fit all. Some need intense follow-up but some don’t,” he said.
Watch here:
Slides will be posted when available.
For information on our peer-led video chat ACTIVE SURVEILLANCE PROSTATE CANCER VIRTUAL SUPPORT GROUP, click here.
To SIGN UP for the Group or any other of our AnCan Virtual Support groups, visit our Contact Us page.
On September 29th, we hosted the webinar “Prostate Cancer – Active Surveillance and More…Past, Present, and Future“.
Featuring Laurence Klotz, MD, a pioneer in developing active surveillance and other areas dealing with prostate cancer, told a webinar about his journey as a urology researcher at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Center in Toronto. With over diagnosis and overtreatment of prostate cancer in the 1990s with the introduction of screening PSA testing, he and his colleagues set out to develop a new strategy of close monitoring of men with low-risk Gleason 6 prostate cancer.
He sees rapid advance of introduction of highly accurate “liquid biopsies” that focus on DNA shed in urine by tumors. He sees great potential in focal therapy.
Watch it all here:
Special thanks to Myovant Sciences – Pfizer, Foundation Medicine, and Advanced Accelerator Applications for sponsoring this webinar.
We apologize, but slides are not available for this webinar.
For information on our peer-led video chat PROSTATE CANCER VIRTUAL SUPPORT GROUPS, click here.
To SIGN UP for the Group or any other of our AnCan Virtual Support groups, visit our Contact Us page.
3 survey opportunities have come our way for you …… and AnCan receives a donation for each approved respondent:
…… if you are taking or have taken and stopped relugolix (Orgovyx), you can earn upto $200 for 80 min of your time, mostly a one-on-one interview. Or, upto $350 if you interview together with your caregiver. Please reach out to us via info@ancan.org and we’ll connect you.
……. if you experience a cough or shortness of breath and are in any type of active treatment, including for urinary issues, there is an opportunity to earn $100 for 60 minutes of time from your home computer. The cough or shortness of breath does not have to be related to your diagnosis or treatment. If interested, please go to https://gigs.savvy.coop/stcancer/?r=a…
…… if you have experienced mouth swelling and sores (stomatitis) as a result of past or current treatment, there is another opportunity to earn $100 for 60 minutes of time from your home computer. If interested, please go to https://gigs.savvy.coop/cancer-stomat…
Editor’s Pick: Loads of cutting edge this week – cytokine storms from pembro or just an infection??? Two men fare diferently with Lu177 PSMA. And heed the warning – don’t pussyfoot when PCa first recurs – it may return.(rd)
Topics Discussed
Caregiver discusses 50+ husband’s metastatic disease; slow moving recurrence requires RT a SECOND time; exercise via a PT???; cytokine storm or just an infection – be sure before more pembro; two experiences from different Lu177 trials; is Pylarify Medciare approved?; agonist ADT resumed after 12-mo holiday with no buffer; low testosterone/metastasis are formula to get Covid booster
Chat Log
Bruce Bocian : 3:21 PM: Berger is our friends Urologist
Jake Hannam : 3:30 PM: Provenge since PSA is low right now?
Stephen Saft (to Everyone): 3:54 PM: Didn’t someone say they have been tolerating 20 Docetaxel treatments because of physical exercise
Len Sierra (to Everyone): 3:55 PM: That would be Iron Man Ken Anderson
Herb Geller (to Everyone): 3:56 PM: Exercise Preserves Physical Function in Prostate Cancer Patients with Bone Metastases. Galvão DA, Taaffe DR, Spry N, Cormie P, Joseph D, Chambers SK, Chee R, Peddle-McIntyre CJ, Hart NH, Baumann FT, Denham J, Baker M, Newton RU. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2018 Mar;50(3):393-399. doi: 10.1249/MSS.0000000000001454.
Richard G. (to Everyone): 3:58 PM: Is the value of exercise more for the cardio (running)or for the strength (weights)? Probably both but does one win out over the other? rg
Len Sierra (to Everyone): 3:59 PM: Both are very important/
Richard G. (to Everyone): 3:59 PM: Was John’s recurrence after 10 years after RP caught by having PSA test every 3 months for the 10 years? rg
Maria Anderzunas (to Everyone): 4:00 PM: I wonder that same thing as Richard G with the exercise, cardio or streghth , which is best, both would be optimal I’m sure.
John Vandenberg (to Everyone): 4:02 PM: yes, PSA test every 6 months for 10 years before recurrence; must leave – shared computer – thanks very much I’ll be calling in – John
Richard G. (to Everyone): 4:04 PM: tks Richard G. (to Everyone): 4:19 PM: what is the trial name? what is the term sidocan storm?
John Antonucci (to Everyone): 4:20 PM: cytokine
Len Sierra (to Everyone): 4:20 PM: cytokine storm
Richard G. (to Everyone): 4:20 PM: tks
Herb Geller (to Everyone): 4:21 PM: Cytokine storm is a result of a massive reaction of the immune system to an insult. Cytokines are hormones released from immune cells that signal to other immune cells, but also affect other cells.
John Antonucci (to Everyone): 4:22 PM: I don’t think it can account for the destrution of the platelets???
Peter Kafka (to Everyone): 4:28 PM: The Keytruda test: IMUDX swab test The resuts came from Soomi Fabian-Aguilar. Indicated I was “Low Risk” for Keytruda. Ordered by Dr. Mark Scholz of Prostate Oncology Specialists. ImuDX Testing – MiraDxhttps://miradx.com › imudx-testing This test predicts the risk of developing immune related adverse events in response to anti-PD1 or anti-PDL1 treatment. Already performing ImuDx Testing? ImuDx …
Stephen Saft (to Everyone): 4:32 PM: is there a possibility that Lu 617 will be approved soon?
Len Sierra (to Everyone): 4:33 PM: John Antonucci: Hematological Side Effects of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors: The Example of Immune-Related Thrombocytopenia https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphar.2019.00454/full
Herb Geller (to Everyone): 4:33 PM: All the information we have says that early next year.
Alan Moskowitz (to Everyone): 4:33 PM: Do we know when Medicare will cover Pylarify? (DCF-Pyl – Psma scan)
Len Sierra (to Everyone): 4:35 PM: Alan, I don’t think that is known.
John Antonucci (to Everyone): 4:35 PM: thanks Len got the article
Alan Moskowitz (to Everyone): 4:36 PM: Len – I had heard that possibly it could be covered now, in a private radiology setting vs in a hospital. But have not been able to confirm.
Len Sierra (to Everyone): 4:37 PM: Hmm, that’s seems odd, Alan. You’d think it would be the opposite.
Alan Moskowitz (to Everyone): 4:38 PM: Len – something about ‘pass through’ status is required for hospitals to bill it. I had talked to a rep from the company that makes it, Lantheus, and there was some vague comments that the company was possibly reimbursing radiology centers for the difference in cost for pylarify vs generic tracer. Again – not so clear.
Richard G. (to Everyone): 4:44 PM: Why not a psma pet scan for Alan M?What is the other name for PSMA petscan? “pilarafy”?
Len Sierra (to Everyone): 4:50 PM: 18F-DCFPyL
Alan Moskowitz (to Everyone): 4:53 PM: Richard G – I have also searched for clinical trials for psma scan – but having been in 2 of these already , i have not found any that is relevant.
ALFRED LATIMER (Private): 4:55 PM: I need to leave. See you next time. Thanks again for all your and groups help
AnCan – rick (to ALFRED LATIMER): 4:55 PM: pleasure – stay in touch
3 new survey opportunities have come our way for you …… and AnCan receives a donation for each approved respondent:
…… if you are taking or have taken and stopped relugolix (Orgovyx), you can earn upto $200 for 80 min of your time, mostly a one-on-one interview. Or, upto $350 if you interview together with your caregiver. Please reach out to us via info@ancan.org and we’ll connect you.
……. if you experience a cough or shortness of breath and are in any type of active treatment, including for urinary issues, there is an opportunity to earn $100 for 60 minutes of time from your home computer. The cough or shortness of breath does not have to be related to your diagnosis or treatment. If interested, please go to https://gigs.savvy.coop/stcancer/?r=ancan
…… if you have experienced mouth swelling and sores (stomatitis) as a result of past or current treatment, there is another opportunity to earn $100 for 60 minutes of time from your home computer. If interested, please go to https://gigs.savvy.coop/cancer-stomatitis/?r=ancan
Editor’s Pick: We discuss ‘compassionate use’ of Lu177 this week … and much more! (rd)
Topics Discussed
Complications around follow up after R2 Lu177 trial fails; Compassionate Use; Tx options after 12mo. drug holiday; Orgovyx Ambassador; rashes from both Lupron and Orgovyx; pushback on getting testosterone tests; post-RP hernia; Embr experience; peripheral neuropathy issues; doctor willing to push darolutamide; long term chemotherapy use; processing information on reports from pathologists and radiologists; BiTE AMG 509 experience; cytokine storm report
Chat Log
Jake Hannam (to Everyone): 7:39 PM: cyclophospamide with steroid
Jake Hannam (to Everyone): 8:11 PM: my oncologist recommended Viamin B6 for PIN
Jake Hannam (to Everyone): 8:46 PM: AMG 509 is a bispecific antibody that binds to two different proteins; one found on the surface of cancer cells and one on the surface of T cells in the immune system. Researchers think that AMG 509 may strengthen the immune system’s ability to fight cancer cells. It is given intravenously (by vein).
John Antonucci (to Everyone): 8:47 PM: thanks Jake
On September 1st, we had Aurora Esquela Kerscher, PhD (Associate professor of microbiology and molecular cell biology and a prostate cancer researcher at Leroy T. Canoles Jr. Cancer Research Center) offered strategies to help laypeople understand medical research articles.
Laypeople may want to read medical journals to find out the latest research in the media, including findings that might impact their care. Dr. Kerscher said it can be hard to track down and expensive to obtain papers. She said Google Scholar at https://scholar.google.com/ and PubMed.gov can lead to pertinent papers. ResearchGate.net can help link people to authors, who might be willing to send interested parties their papers.
In this presentation, Dr. Kerscher gave an anatomy of a research paper, focusing on a new study on how exercise can help prostate as well as cardiac health in men on active surveillance.
She also provided a step-by-step guide on how to quickly read/skim a research paper.
“Ask yourself – WHAT IS THE BIG QUESTION?”
–What problem is being addressed?
–Then ask yourself – Why should I care?
Her final helpful tips were:
• Read slowly, take notes as you read,
• Question assumptions, the importance of the problem.
• Write questions to track what you don’t understand. Write down and translate jargon in Google.
• Sometimes what is not in the paper is more important than what is in it.
• Is there something the authors have overlooked?
• Don’t let ideas or design details pass until you understand them.
• Do not assume the paper is correct, even if published in a prestigious peer-reviewed venue
Watch this extremely information presentation here:
To view the slides from this presentation, click here.
For information on our peer-led video chat ACTIVE SURVEILLANCE PROSTATE CANCER VIRTUAL SUPPORT GROUP, click here.
To SIGN UP for the Group or any other of our AnCan Virtual Support groups, visit our Contact Us page.
