Dr. Higano on the State of Immunotherapy in Prostate Cancer

Celestia S. Higano, MD, FACP, medical oncologist with expertise in genitourinary oncology, member, Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, professor, Department of Medicine and Urology, University of Washington, Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, discusses the state of immunotherapy in prostate cancer.

In 2010, sipuleucel-T (Provenge) became the first immuno-oncology drug to receive regulatory approval in prostate cancer. Although single-agent immunotherapy has shown modest activity in this space, combinations could help harness immune response.

Many small, phase 1/2 trials are ongoing with immunotherapy, says Higano. At the University of Washington, investigators are administering a vaccine followed by a PD-1 inhibitor. Many clinical trials are evaluating PD-1 inhibitors in combination with other agents, as well as with or without PARP inhibitors, concludes Higano.