Maha H.A. Hussain, MD, FACP, FASCO, and Mary-Ellen Taplin, MD, sit down with 

® to travel the road that led them to specialize in genitourinary oncology, the challenges they experienced as females in the field, and advice they would give to not only female oncologists starting out in their career, but to their younger selves with the knowledge that they have now. 

Hussain is the Genevieve Teuton Professor of Medicine in the Division of Hematology Oncology, Department of Medicine, and the Deputy Director at the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. 

Meanwhile, Taplin is the director of Clinical Research, Lank Center for Genitourinary Oncology and institute physician at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. 

Both leaders in oncology share their life lessons as women practicing genitourinary cancers, and give intel on how society has evolved in relation to gender equality in the oncology workforce throughout their careers. 

Videos

Maha H.A. Hussain, MD, and Mary-Ellen Taplin, MD, sit down with OncLive® to travel the road that led them to specialize in genitourinary oncology, the challenges they experienced as a female in the field, and advice they would give to not only other rising female oncologists, but to their younger selves knowing what they know now.

Hussain and Taplin Talk Gender-Specific Struggles, Career Lessons in GU Oncology

Maha Hussain, MD, Professor of Medicine and Urology, University of Michigan, associate director, Clinical Research, co-leader, Prostate Cancer/GU Oncology Program, assistant chief, Clinical Research at the Division of Hematology/ Oncology, University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center, discusses new therapeutic approaches in castration-resistance prostate cancer.

There are several agents currently being tested targeting different aspect of the androgen-receptor in the setting of castration-resistance prostate cancer. Some drugs target the androgen-receptor itself, others target different sources of androgen, and there are also hybrid approaches, said Maha.

Whether or not it is better to have a multi-targeted approach remains unknown, said Maha.

Dr. Maha Hussain on Novel Approaches in Prostate Cancer

Maha H. Hussain, MBChB, a professor of Medicine and Urology at the University of Michigan and the associate director for Clinical Research at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center, explains that care should be multi- and interdisciplinary, in order to provide the best possible outcomes.

The goal of patient care should not be focused on the physician who sees the patient but rather on providing the best possible treatment, Hussain states. In general, men diagnosed with hormone-sensitive prostate cancer are seen by urologists. However, in the context of clinical trials, the monitoring of experimental treatments, logistics, and chemotherapy might be better handled by an oncologist, Hussain believes.

Ultimately, care that is provided by a team that includes an oncologist, urologist, radiologist, and other specialties is the best option. How this is balanced, should be a secondary consideration. However, a patient should not be deprived of seeing a second physician, Hussain adds.

Maha H. Hussain, MBChB, from the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center, explains that care should be multi- and interdisciplinary, in order to provide the best possible outcomes.

Dr. Hussain on the Importance of Multidisciplinary Care

Maha Hussain, MD, Professor of Medicine and Urology, University of Michigan, associate director, Clinical Research, co-leader, Prostate Cancer/GU Oncology Program, assistant chief, Clinical Research at the Division of Hematology/ Oncology, University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center, discusses the possibility of utilizing ETS gene fusions as predictive biomarkers in prostate cancer.

Research has suggested that the presence of ETS gene fusions could be a potential predictive biomarker, fulfilling an unmet need. These fusions occur in early stage disease, Hussain says, and research suggests their presences are a driver of cancer development.

NCI 9012, a randomized ETS fusion-stratified phase II trial, is the first biomarker-based trial in prostate cancer. Hussain says that real tissue biopsies from metastatic patients were evaluated for the ETS status. The patients were broken up into two groups (ETS positive and ETS negative) and were then randomized to abiraterone versus abiraterone plus veliparib.

So far, 125 patients have been enrolled in the study and over 100 patients in the trial have been randomized. Hussain says results so far have shown 75% biopsy yield in the bone and nearly 100% biopsy yield in the soft-tissue disease.

This is a pioneer trial that should hopefully open the door to more development of biopsy-based trials and combination therapy development, Hussain believes.

View more from the 2014 ASCO Annual Meeting

Maha Hussain, MD, from the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center, discusses the possibility of ETS gene fusions acting as a predictive biomarker for prostate cancer.

Maha H. Hussain, MB ChB

Articles

Hussain and Taplin Talk Gender-Specific Struggles, Career Lessons in GU Oncology

Dr. Maha Hussain on Novel Approaches in Prostate Cancer

Dr. Hussain on the Importance of Multidisciplinary Care

Dr. Hussain on ETS Gene Fusions as a Predictive Biomarker in Prostate Cancer