Journal Club VL

Exploring the Role of ATM and BRCA2 Mutations in Metastatic Prostate Cancer Outcomes, Journal Club - Rashid Sayyid & Zachary Klaassen

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Rashid Sayyid and Zach Klaassen discuss a publication examining metastatic prostate cancer outcomes in relation to BRCA2 and ATM mutations. Sayyid highlights that around 20-25% of metastatic prostate cancer patients have homologous recombination repair (HRR) gene mutations which are not uniform and can significantly affect treatment responses. He explains that FDA-approved PARP inhibitors (olapari...

Filling the Gap: Creating a Specialized PRO Measure for Radionuclide Therapy in Prostate Cancer, Journal Club - Zachary Klaassen & Rashid Sayyid

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Rashid Sayyid and Zach Klaassen a paper on the development of a patient-reported outcomes (PROs) measure for radionuclide therapy for prostate cancer, published in the Journal of Nuclear Medicine. They explain the importance of PROs in evaluating the impact of these emerging oncology treatments on patients' quality of life. Highlighting a current gap in the literature, they note that existing PRO...

Decoding Survival: The Role of Bone Biomarkers in Hormone-Sensitive Prostate Cancer, Journal Club - Rashid Sayyid & Zachary Klaassen

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In this discussion, Rashid Sayyid and Zach Klaassen discuss the findings of a study investigating the significance of bone biomarkers in the prognosis of men with hormone-sensitive prostate cancer. The study, a subgroup analysis from the SWOG S1216 trial, used blood-based biomarkers of bone turnover as prognostic factors for survival. It also examined the performance of Orteronel, a non-steroidal...

The Push for PSMA-PET: Evaluating its Role in Prostate Cancer Diagnosis, Journal Club - Rashid Sayyid & Zachary Klaassen

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Rashid Sayyid and Zach Klaassen scrutinize a publication from European Urology comparing the diagnostic accuracy of PSMA PET and traditional imaging modalities in initial staging of intermediate to high-risk prostate cancer. The authors systematically review studies comparing PSMA-PET/CT, MRI, and conventional imaging, noting that PSMA-PET/CT shows higher sensitivity and specificity. They also dis...

The Impact of MDT on Intermittent Hormone Therapy: Insights from the EXTEND Trial, Journal Club - Rashid Sayyid & Zachary Klaassen

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Rashid Sayyid and Zach Klaassen dissect the findings of the EXTEND trial, a phase two randomized study focused on the effects of adding metastasis-directed therapy (MDT) to intermittent hormone therapy for oligometastatic prostate cancer. As per the JAMA Oncology published report, despite evidence supporting systemic therapy intensification for metastatic prostate cancer, the combination of MDT an...

Ga-PSMA PET for Evaluation of Response to Chemotherapy for Metastatic Prostate Cancer, Journal Club - Rashid Sayyid & Zachary Klaassen

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Rashid Sayyid and Zach Klaassen analyze a study on the prognostic role of 68 Ga-PSMA-11 PET-based response in prostate cancer patients undergoing taxane-based chemotherapy. The researchers note that traditional assessment tools, such as the Prostate Cancer Working Group 3 criteria, often rely on conventional imaging, limiting the ability to differentiate between responders and those with stable di...

Evaluating Outcomes of Enzalutamide and Abiraterone Co-administration: Insights from the ALLIANCE Trial, Journal Club - Rashid Sayyid & Zachary Klaassen

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Rashid Sayyid and Zach Klaassen discuss a study on the efficacy of combining enzalutamide and abiraterone in treating metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) patients. The study, published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, posits the potential benefit of using both drugs as they counteract each other's resistance mechanisms. Notably, the drugs have been approved separately by th...

Two-Year Follow-Up: Avelumab Improves Survival in Advanced Urothelial Carcinoma, Journal Club - Rashid Sayyid & Zachary Klaassen

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In this discussion between Rashid Sayyid and Zach Klaassen, the experts review the outcomes of the JAVELIN Bladder 100 trial. The trial investigated the effects of Avelumab, a first-line maintenance therapy for advanced urothelial carcinoma, and involved 700 patients who showed no disease progression after first-line chemotherapy. Avelumab, in combination with standard care, prolonged median overa...

Comparative Analysis of Radical Cystectomy and Trimodality Therapy for Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer, Journal Club – Rashid Sayyid & Zachary Klaassen

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Rashid Sayyid and Zach Klaassen discuss a study published in Lancet Oncology titled “Radical Cystectomy versus Trimodality Therapy for Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer: A Multi-Institutional Propensity Score Matched and Weighted Analysis.” The study compared radical cystectomy and trimodality therapy (TMT) for patients with Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer. The authors found that radical cystectomy, t...

Examining Survival Rates in Prostate Cancer: Exploring the STAMPEDE Platform, Journal Club - Rashid Sayyid & Zachary Klaassen

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Rashid Sayyid and Zach Klaassen discuss recent findings from the STAMPEDE platform regarding the efficacy of abiraterone acetate plus prednisolone, with or without enzalutamide, for patients with metastatic prostate cancer initiating ADT. Drawing on data from two randomized Phase III trials, the pair examine long-term outcomes. They elaborate on the rationale for combining abiraterone and enzaluta...