3rd ESO Prostate Cancer Observatory highlights collaborative work
Multidisciplinary care and the role of a comprehensive collaborative effort in managing prostate cancer was highlighted at the 3rd European School of Oncology (ESO) Prostate Cancer Observatory held yesterday which had “Innovation and Care in the Next 12 Months” as central theme.
The session hall was filled to overflowing with several delegates having to watch the proceedings on the outside screen, the meeting attracted high interest among opening day congress participants. The session was led by a very distinguished group of scientists and clinicians joining with patients to forecast what the trends would be in prostate treatment over the next 12 months.
Session co-chairs, Steven Joniau (BE) and Riccardo Valdagni (IT) spoke on the importance of providing a platform for a diverse group of experts specializing on prostate cancer.
“It’s only recently that patients with metastatic prostate cancer have become subjects for real, intensive, specialised treatment, and this is due to a couple of changes we have seen described here today,” said Valdagni. “The first thing is that multi-disciplinary care is growing in all fields of cancer care, but especially in prostate treatment we are seeing the involvement of teams of specialists: medical oncologists, radiologists, surgeons, hormone specialists, and so on, all followed up by a much more comprehensive level of support care.”
“The second great advance is in imaging,” added Joniau. “We are now seeing new imaging modalities which are revolutionizing what we can see and what is treatable. The differences are startling. It’s a bit like going from an old black and white TV to a large screen 3-D full colour 4K screen – you just see more than we used to see.”
“For example, the new PET-CT is changing the diagnostics of prostate cancer. And this has changed our strategic approach,” added Valdagni. “Metastatic prostate cancer is now becoming treatable, whereas previously patients with one or two metastatic tumours were almost considered inoperable. Now by targeting the mother tumour and the metastases, and by combing treatments, we can change the fate of the patient disease from short-term lethal disease, to a more chronic disease”.
“Patient involvement is vitally important,” according to Joniau.
He added: “There can be a tendency to run with the treatment, and we need patients to balance our enthusiasm and make sure that we keep site of the quality of life of the patient – to treat the patient, and not just the disease. Just because something is treatable doesn’t mean that treatment is obligatory. These changes will also involve an education process. It’s hard enough for specialists in the field to keep up with the remarkable changes we are seeing, but think how much more difficult for the average GP to take this on board.”