This is a growing area of research in cancers as getting the body's immune system to engage in the fight has real promise in getting to cures and prolonged remissions. The challenge is that PCa is considered a "cold tumor" with an explanation from the article below: PCa is a “cold tumor,” meaning that it is characterized by low infiltration of T-cells at the tumor microenvironment. “Although the reasons vary for this phenomenon, an important reason is limited neoantigens,” Dr Ponnazhagan explained. “Some solid tumors, like a subset of colorectal cancers, are characterized by high mutation rates that make them immunologically reactive tumors, characterized by high T-cell infiltration. For successfully treating cold tumors by immunotherapy, approaches should take into effect strategies to overcome this limitation.”
One of the prostate cancer vaccines I will cover involves introduction of a high number of neoantigens. Neoantigens are mutated antigens specifically expressed by tumor tissue and are not expressed on the surface of normal cells. Getting the immune system to recognize these and thus launch an attack by the immune system on PCa being the goal in vaccines. Some of the other things covered in the breakout session involves the use of vaccines with other drugs. As I have stated numerous times, the path of the future in Oncology involves using a variety of approaches including AR drugs, Check Point inhibitors, PARP inhibitors, BRD4 inhibitors, Radiopharmaceuticals, "Sensitizer" drugs like Veyonda, etc...
I hope you enjoy the breakout session and that it gives you some perspective where research is headed...
Amen indeed....This is the wave of the future with the other coming interventions like nanoparticle drug delivery, newer drugs that do more than inhibit AR, improved radiation, improved scans... We are at the beginning and that is a blessing...
Toward the end of the breakout session, Dr. Subudhi considered how “incredible it is to succeed in curing prostate cancer patients with immunotherapy—patients who were otherwise considered uncurable.”Really? Has he actually succeeded in curing an advanced PCa patient?
He states that so I guess so....remember, there are MSI-High patients that do incredibly well on Keytruda... whether that is the case or there are people that are BRCA 1/2 positive that do well on PARP inhibitors or a PARP combo... He mentions combos and that is the direction I think we are headed.... A cure is 5 years without evidence of disease and a PSA of <.001 as I recall off the top of my head...I believe that definition will change as well to include no evidence of CTC's...
I reviewed it and could find no definition of a cure in metastatic PCa. I agree that you would expect T to be within normal. The definition I saw earlier was a PSA < .2 after radiation treatment for BCR that lasted over 4 years. Some argue there is no cure in metastatic PCa, but there is one guy on a forum that would argue he is cured after being undetectable for greater than 10 years and having metastatic PCa.
NP, Just catching up with you on this post. Have not yet had an opportunity to view the session, but will when I get the time. Thanks for keeping this forum updated with what may turn out to be THE cutting edge future of cancer treatment.
BTW, I also know of that guy on another forum and it appears HE can be cured of metastatic PCa, but no one else can? It is really pretty remarkable when you think about it.
Yes, Gourd Dancer is a one in a million case I guess, but I believe we will see that change... I am watching the oligometastatic bunch with great interest and wondering if some of us are not in that elusive one in a million club... we shall see.... I will begin rewriting my take on PCa vaccines tomorrow... it needs broken down into smaller chunks that are easier to digest... I love that science... Happy New Year to you and yours....hope for better days...
Yes Dave. Thank you for thinking about breaking this article down into smaller 'bites'. I'll look forward to the post because as you are well aware I often need things in very simple language and always appreciate your willingness to oblige. Hope you had a truly fabulous New Year's Day. Better year ahead no doubt.
A nice New Year indeed....Saw Margaret's Mum and my son....enjoyed some time with both....now at home with chores to do....just glad the greenhouse trim was completed before.....I felt this needs to be broken down for a more thorough understanding for everyone... Why impart knowledge for the few and not the many??
Looks like a sunny day in the 70's in Oz... Enjoy...
Yes I always like the way you usually put a summary with main points at the conclusion of your posts otherwise if it's not a topic I'm familiar with I get lost in the details.
I've actually forgotten what a sunny day is like. Our weather has been crazy over the last few weeks. So glad that the greenhouse is finally finished...bet you are too!! Great achievement. I'll message later....Marnie
Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.
Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.
