Dr. Gong on Addressing Unmet Needs Through Ongoing Research in Prostate Cancer

Jun Gong, MD, medical director, Colorectal Cancer; associate professor, medicine; medical oncologist, Gastrointestinal Disease Research Group, Pancreatic Cancer Research Group, Urologic Oncology Program, Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute, Cedars-Sinai Cancer, discusses efforts to address unmet needs in metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (mHSPC) through ongoing biomarker research and real-world analysis of triplet therapy integration in clinical practice.

The decision-making process for determining an appropriate therapy regimen for patients with mHSPC is evolving, particularly in terms of triplet vs doublet therapeutic approaches, Gong begins. Whether to stratify patient benefit according to volume of disease, or de novo vs metastatic disease is an ongoing question in this space, he adds, stating that accordingly, identifying biomarkers to guide treatment selection in this setting is crucial.

One such biomarker of interest is SPOP, which has emerged as a potential predictor of treatment response in de novo mHSPC, Gong introduces. Early data from studies conducted at the Huntsman Cancer Center showed that the presence of SPOP mutations were significantly associated with improved outcomes with androgen receptor signaling inhibitor (ARSI)–based therapies vs wild-type SPOP, Gong states. This efficacy signal was not observed with docetaxel-based therapy in patients with SPOP mutations, he notes. Such findings indicates that SPOP status could help identify patients who would benefit from ARSI-based treatment strategies, Gong explains.

Despite the emerging evidence supporting the intensification of androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), there is a notable gap between evidence-based recommendations and their implementation in real-world practice, Gong continues. Real-world analyses have shown that a significant portion of patients with mHSPC are still receiving monotherapy with ADT compared with a doublet or intensified therapy regimens, he reports. This highlights the need for increased awareness and education within the medical community to ensure that all eligible patients have access to and benefit from the latest treatment strategies that can prolong overall survival and improve outcomes, Gong explains.

Efforts to disseminate knowledge and encourage the adoption of treatment intensification strategies are therefore essential to address this unmet need and optimize patient care in mHSPC, Gong says. Bridging the gap between evidence-based recommendations and clinical practice will ensure that patients receive the most appropriate and effective therapies based on their individual biomarker profiles, he concludes.