Keeping Pace With the Evolution of Genitourinary Cancer Care

OncLive Chairman,

Mike Hennessy

The world’s largest gathering of urologists, the annual meeting of the American Urological Association, offered an array of information relevant to those who practice in the community setting.

OncLive

was on site during the meeting, held May 16-21 in Orlando, Florida, to cover presentations of data from recent research studies, as well as in-depth courses teaching urologists to pursue a variety of new paths in their day-to-day practice.

OncLive

This month, we present that coverage both in and in a dedicated Meeting Reporter.

Covered in these publications is a study demonstrating that carefully trained German shepherds are able to detect prostate cancer with 99% accuracy by sniffing men’s urine samples. Also in the area of prostate cancer, we offer information about a new way of examining prostate-specific antigen dynamics to determine when the disease is likely turn aggressive; data on the success of intermittent dosing of the gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonist degarelix (Firmagon); and the addition of recommendations for the use of radiopharmaceutical radium-223 to the AUA’s guideline for the treatment of metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer.

The AUA meeting also offered a plethora of information about other diseases treated by community urologists. Here, we summarize studies that considered the cost-effectiveness of testicular self-examinations; the use of a cell-cycle gene array test to predict metastatic progression of renal cell carcinoma after surgery; and the value of physical activity in preventing death from bladder cancer.

In separate conference coverage, we offer articles about some of the most intriguing genitourinary-related presentations made at the May 30-June 2 annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology—including data showing a nearly unprecedented increase in median survival for men with newly diagnosed metastatic, hormone-sensitive prostate cancer when chemotherapy was added to standard hormone therapy.

Elsewhere, we focus on the ongoing quest to understand how best to combine and/or sequence treatments for prostate cancer—in part through a physician-authored column on radium-223. Further, we offer a look at novel imaging techniques for use in patients with prostate cancer; a discussion of how to treat the side effects of androgen-deprivation therapy; a primer on how to launch an advanced prostate cancer clinic; and insights into how to use social media as a marketing tool for large urology group practices.

We also have a profile on the life’s work of Lawrence H. Einhorn, MD, who helped develop a cure for testicular cancer. For his contributions, Dr. Einhorn was named one of OncLive’s Giants of Cancer Care in 2013.

We hope this array of information reflecting the constant evolution of genitourinary cancer care provides strategies our readers can apply immediately, in addition to an understanding of promising new tactics in the pipeline.

As always, thank you for reading.