“Great science, great technology, great thinking, and great connectivity can change the world,” said Charles J. Ryan, MD, CEO of the Prostate Cancer Foundation, as he welcomed the world’s leading experts in prostate cancer care to the inaugural PSMA Conference, held at University of California, San Francisco, January 18-19, 2024.
More than 500 attendees in-person and online explored the current and future use of PSMA (prostate-specific membrane antigen) PET imaging and PSMA radioligand therapy to improve the clinical care of patients with prostate cancer, the most common cancer among men in the United States. Attendees included leading cancer physicians, nuclear medicine imaging specialists and technologists, and researchers from world-renown cancer centers. The conference was co-sponsored by UCSF and the University of California, Los Angeles, with support from the Prostate Cancer Foundation, and included speaker presentations, panel discussions, and exhibits.
"This conference is the first of its kind – we brought together the best oncologists, the best imaging specialists, and the best researchers in the field,” said Thomas A. Hope, MD, Professor of Radiology at UCSF. “Three years after receiving US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of the technique, we continue to work to advance our collective education in PSMA, so that we’re better equipped to accelerate the development of these new therapies and make significant strides toward improving the lives of prostate cancer patients.”
The conference focused on how to interpret PSMA PET scans, how to select patients for PSMA radioligand therapy to improve patient outcomes, and patient management and potential toxicities of radiopharmaceutical therapies (RPTs).
Highlights of the two-day conference included:
Conference organizers include UCSF’s Dr. Hope, and from UCLA, Jeremie Calais, MD, MSc and Johannes Czernin, MD. Bella Whalen is the conference project manager. The stage is already set for next year. Save the date for the 2025 PSMA Conference, March 28-29, 2025, at UCLA’s Meyer and Renee Luskin Conference Center in Los Angeles.
For more information, visit: psmaconference.ucsf.edu
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