"PLUS was created to start laying down the foundation for implementing prevention science, and understanding things that helped maintain bladder health [and] things that are risk factors for progression into bladder disease," says Leslie Rickey, MD, MPH.
"There is a definite shortage, so not just increasing the diversity, but we have to increase the work force itself," says Sumit Saini, MD
"For the first 3 years that people join us, there's a whole program set up for them to help assimilate them into the culture, get them the resources that they need, make sure that they're meeting their benchmarks and goals," says Anne M. Suskind, MD, MS, FACS, FPMRS.
This episode provides an in-depth discussion on Cretostimogene Grenadenorepvec (CG), an investigational agent for high-risk BCG-unresponsive NMIBC, including the mechanism of action, its efficacy and safety data from clinical trial trials like CORE01 and BOND-003 (NCT04452591), and the rationale behind combining CG with anti-PD-1/PD-L1 antibodies. Experts also provide their insights on future directions in clinical development and application of CG in various NMIBC treatment scenarios, such as a monotherapy and in combination with IO, including its potential use in intermediate-risk disease.
This episode explores the potential of emerging therapies in providing effective treatment alternatives for challenging NMIBC cases. Current clinical trials and investigational treatments for high-risk, BCG-unresponsive NMIBC are highlighted, including the use of N-803, an IL-15 superagonist, in combination with BCG, and discusses TAR-200, an intravesical drug delivery system, which releases gemcitabine directly into the bladder over time.
“There are a lot of people using this technology now, but it is not mainstream by any means,” says Ojas Shah, MD.
"Ask about leakage and talk about options," says Lindsay A. Hampson, MD, MAS.
"I think as urologists that treat incontinence, both Dr. Shaw and I probably have the experience of talking to many men who actually never pursue surgical treatment for their incontinence, but they still want to understand what the options are," says Lindsay A. Hampson, MD, MAS.
"I find writing kind of relaxing. I like it like I like sitting down and reading for an hour," says Andrew L. Siegel, MD.
“These are key, because right now our sepsis rates following ureteroscopy are, quite frankly, unacceptable,” says Jordan L. Allen, MD.
"For me, the take-home message is that reduced or even no-narcotic discharge for patients after kidney surgery is feasible, and that it really should be our mindset of, can we reduce the amount of opioids we use?" says Craig G. Rogers, MD.
"I think the main [finding] that continues to strike me working with Dr Hampson on this type of work is how different individual incontinence is for the patient who is experiencing it," says Nathan M. Shaw, MD.
Prostate cancer specialists outline the pros and cons of the rectal spacer options for patients with prostate cancer and discuss factors that influence spacer choice.
The expert panel outlines visibility considerations with the 3 rectal spacer options when treating patients with prostate cancer with radiation therapy.
Neal Shore, MD, FACS, offers clinical insights on optimizing patient selection and treatment sequencing in BCG-unresponsive NMIBC.
This monthly series will begin in January 2024, and attendees can earn one category 1 CME credit per session.
"Nowadays, the complexity of potential management options have gotten increasingly difficult to express to patients," says Andrew L. Siegel, MD.
Sam S. Chang MD, MBA leads a discussion of various treatment approaches for a hypothetical case of a 74-year-old female patient with T1 bladder cancer and associated CIS, exploring the necessity of repeat resections. The conversation emphasizes the importance of personalized treatment plans, considering BCG therapy, clinical trials involving immunotherapy, and the possibility of cystectomy, while also addressing the complexities and risks associated with high-grade bladder cancer in elderly patients.
This episode focuses on the complex management of recurrent low-grade bladder tumors and highlights the limitations and challenges of current treatments, including intravesical chemotherapy and BCG, and underscores the need for better therapies and clinical trials in this area.
“The primary outcome will be feasibility of in-home treatments,” says Timothy D. Lyon, MD, FACS.
“Overall, I'd say these shorter-term outcomes at 6 months look to be very similar to those outcomes measured with the smaller glands. In a sense, at least within this range, volume may not be a deal breaker,” says Kevin T. McVary, MD.
“In addition to the psychological and emotional burden associated with infertility, it's also been growing in incidence,” says Catherine S. Nam, MD.
“[We can use] the study to help further those arguments that we should be able to make our clinical decisions based on the patient's presentation, a risk-benefit discussion between patient and physician, and not based on what insurance companies will pay for,” says Michelle E. Van Kuiken, MD.
“So, always going where the point of max curve is gives a much better outcome compared to if you're using any other technique,” says Landon Trost, MD.
“We were pleased and excited to see that 72% of patients reported openness to receiving in-home intravesical therapy,” says Timothy D. Lyon, MD, FACS.
Jeffrey T. Schiff, MD, MPH, describes PEG hydrogel spacers and discusses their role in treating patients with prostate cancer undergoing radiation therapy.
The expert panel concludes its discussion by providing key takeaways on the evolving bladder cancer treatment landscape following ESMO 2023.
A urologist discusses treatments in the pipeline that can further improve the therapeutic landscape in BCG-unresponsive NMIBC.
Rizwan Nurani, MD, an expert on prostate cancer, describes the role of balloon spacers in the treatment space.
"For me, as a physician who treats patients with kidney cancer and does surgeries, where this study is going to help me and change my practice is making me more thoughtful and intentional in the way I approach my patients with their pain management," says Craig G. Rogers, MD.
