Chicago “Town Hall Meeting” Creates Spirited Discussion

On Saturday June 17, 2006, six prostate cancer specialists participated in a “spirited” discussion regarding treatment options for patients with hormone refractory and advanced prostate cancer. The meeting was produced by PCRI and underwritten by an educational grant from Abbott Oncology. It was held at the Hyatt Regency O’Hare and included twenty-one patients and six partners from the Chicago area and several diverse locations like: Waleska, GA, Cooperstown, NY and Boise, ID. PCRI’s Program Director, Harry Pinchot moderated the session by asking questions submitted by the attendees to the panel of five medical oncologists and one urologist:

Oliver Sartor, MD, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston
Charles Myers, MD, American Institute of Diseases of the Prostate, Free Union, VA
Steven Tucker, MD, The Angeles Clinic, Santa Monica, CA
Nicholas Vogelzang, MD, Nevada Cancer Institute, Las Vegas
Daniel Shevrin, MD, Evanston Northwestern Health Care, Evanston, IL
Gerald W Chodak, MD, Midwest Prostate and Urology Health Center, Chicago

The questions were grouped under the general topics: Second-line Treatments, Chemotherapy, Bone Strengthening, Novel Agents and Quality of Life Issues. Of the many comments worth noting:

“ If we could completely eliminate androgen, we could keep more patients from developing hormone refractory prostate cancer (HRPC). Most PC still needs the androgen receptor. In breast cancer, there are ways to fully degrade the estrogen receptor”
“ There does not appear to be a major detriment to the use of intermittent androgen deprivation therapy, (in patients who achieve an undetectable PSA nadir)”
“ Some patients with a fast PSA doubling time and Gleason 9-10 can be put into remission if Taxotere is started early”
“ For HRPC, first line therapy should be a clinical trial involving Taxotere plus one of many interesting novel agents”
“ In lung cancer, four cycles of chemotherapy is as effective as more but we don’t have data for prostate cancer”
“ With chemotherapy, supportive care matters ‘big time’, the heart of medical oncology is poison control”

Attendees had an opportunity for individual discussions with the panel and PCRI representatives during the continental breakfast, morning break, and luncheon.

The meeting drew high marks and many favorable comments including: “I am in total in “AWE” to be in the same room with these doctors who I believe are truly “Saints” in the world of cancer.” and “Excellent dialog between physicians with markedly different approaches to this disease”.

The meeting was video taped and you can also request a set of the DVDs by submitting a request online or calling our Los Angeles office at 310-743-2110.

Prostate Cancer Research Institute (PCRI)
 

Material provided by PCRI is intended for educational purposes for discussion with your physician and should not be considered as medical advice. Information and opinions expressed on this website are not an endorsement by PCRI for any treatment, product or service.