FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
February 24, 2009
CONTACT: Aaron Tallent
571-483-1371
aaron.tallent@asco.org
-- New Risk Assessment Tool Predicts Prostate Cancer Better Than PSA Alone; Urine Test Detects TMPRSS2:ERG Gene Fusion, May Identify More Aggressive Prostate Cancers; PET Scanning Is Superior to CT or MRI in Detecting Spread of Bladder Cancer; High-Dose, Shorter Course of Radiation as Effective as Standard Therapy for Prostate Cancer --
ORLANDO, Fla.– New research on the treatment of genitourinary cancers is being presented at the second Genitourinary Cancers Symposium, being held February 26-28, 2009 at the Orlando World Center Marriott. The noteworthy studies summarized below were highlighted in a media presscast, which can be accessed in
ASCO's GU Press Kit.
Highlighted studies include:
- The development of a personalized risk assessment tool that combines prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test results with additional prostate cancer risk factors to more accurately predict a man’s future risk of developing prostate cancer, compared with PSA test results alone
- A study finding that a novel molecular urine test that detects the fusion of two genes – TMPRSS2 and ERG – was highly accurate for detecting prostate cancer and may be able to help identify cancers that are likely to grow and spread quickly
- Research finding that positron emission tomography (PET) scanning is more accurate than computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for determining the extent of disease in patients with suspected metastatic bladder cancer
- Interim results from a Phase III study showing that a shorter, five-week course of radiation therapy using higher doses of radiation – known as hypofractionation – was just as effective and as well tolerated as standard seven-and-a-half-week radiation therapy for reducing the risk of prostate cancer recurrence
“Novel technologies are helping oncologists refine the prediction, detection and treatment of genitourinary cancers,” said Howard M. Sandler, MD, a prostate cancer specialist, Chair of Radiation Oncology at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, CA, and moderator of the presscast. “These studies describe innovative approaches to predict cancer risk, determine the most appropriate plan of care for each patient and, in the case of the hypofractionation study, to deliver care efficiently, with less adverse impact on patients’ quality of life.”
Genitourinary cancers include cancers of the prostate, kidney, bladder and testis, as well as less common cancers such as those of the penis, ureters and other urinary organs. Each year more than 321,000 people in the United States are diagnosed with genitourinary cancers and more than 57,000 die of these diseases. The most common genitourinary cancer is prostate cancer, which is diagnosed in more than 186,320 men and claims more than 28,000 lives each year.
Genitourinary cancers include cancers of the prostate, kidney, bladder and testis, as well as less common cancers such as those of the penis, ureters and other urinary organs. Each year more than 321,000 people in the United States are diagnosed with genitourinary cancers and more than 57,000 die of these diseases. The most common genitourinary cancer is prostate cancer, which is diagnosed in more than 186,320 men and claims more than 28,000 lives each year.
The Genitourinary Cancers Symposium is co-sponsored by the American Society for Clinical Oncology (ASCO), the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) and the Society of Urologic Oncology (SUO).
Information for Media:
www.asco.org/GUPressKit09
Relevant Links on ASCO’s Cancer.Net:
For a full copy of the release, please
click here.
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