Welcome!
Thank you for joining us in advancing prostate cancer knowledge. We send newsletters two times a year with exciting news about PROMISE, and new prostate cancer findings.
Welcome!
Thank you for joining us in advancing prostate cancer knowledge. We send newsletters two times a year with exciting news about PROMISE, and new prostate cancer findings.
PROMISE Newsletter, Fall 2021
Dear participants,
Thank you for joining us in advancing prostate cancer knowledge. We are delighted to share our first newsletter with you. We will be sending newsletters two times a year with exciting news about PROMISE, and new prostate cancer findings.
Starting Lineup
We are thrilled to welcome you as one of our first study participants! PROMISE opened nationwide on 5/3/2021. As of 9/10/21, 215 men with prostate cancer have registered for PROMISE. The study team hopes to have more participants join us this year from around the country.
Connect with us on Twitter at @CancerPromise and by tweeting with #prostatecancerPROMISE. Share and learn more about PROMISE through our website.
Meet the Team
The PROMISE study is led by Dr. Heather Cheng, MD., Ph.D and Dr. Channing Paller, M.D.
Heather Cheng, M.D., Ph.D.
Dr. Heather Cheng is an associate professor of oncology at the University of Washington School of Medicine and at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. An expert in prostate cancer genetics, she is studying ways to use genetics to guide the care of prostate cancer patients and their family members who may also be at high risk for the disease.
Channing Judith Paller, M.D.
Dr. Channing J. Paller is an associate professor of oncology and urology at Johns Hopkins Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center and an expert on biomarkers that enable patient-centered treatment strategies. Her research focuses on developing improved, targeted treatments to extend survival and improve quality of life for prostate cancer patients.
New Drug Approvals
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved two new drugs in May 2021 for prostate cancer treatment: olaparib (Lynparza) and rucaparib (Rubraca). Olaparib and rucaparib are PARP inhibitors that are already used to treat breast cancer in patients with specific genetic alterations. PARP inhibitors block PARP protein activity, which helps cells repair DNA damage. Olaparib and rucaparib are recommended for patients whose cancer has spread (metastasized), and for patients with cancer that has stopped responding to hormone treatments (castration-resistant disease). Eligible patients must also have genetic alterations that prevent cells from repairing DNA damage. Genetic tests, like the Color test received through PROMISE, can help patients find out if they are eligible for olaparib and rucaparib.
Innovation
Cancer researchers are always looking for a better way to diagnose and treat cancer. While we are thrilled that olaparib and rucaparib are new options for treatment, these drugs don’t work forever. That is why we try to innovate through clinical trial research. New clinical trials are exploring drug combinations and how these combinations can help patients in earlier disease stages. There may be a clinical trial that is a good match for you. If you are interested in joining one, ask your doctor for more information.
Tips and Tricks
Staying active is an important part of a healthy lifestyle. Exercise can also combat the side effects of hormone therapy for prostate cancer. Check out these videos for some exercises you can try at home.
Clinical Trial Highlights
A list of selected prostate cancer clinical trials in the United States is available here.
Boston, MA
| Participating Hospital | Study Title | Trial Link | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA | A Phase 2 Multicohort Study of Nivolumab in Combination with Docetaxel and Androgen Deprivation Therapy in Metastatic Hormone Sensitive Prostate Cancer Patients with DNA Damage Repair Defects or Inflamed Tumors | NCT04126070 | Recruiting |
New York, NY
| Participating Hospital | Study Title | Trial Link | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY |
A Phase II Study of Olaparib and Durvalumab in Men with Castration Sensitive Biochemically Recurrent Non Metastatic Prostate Cancer Harboring Mutations in DNA Damage Repair | NCT03810105 | Recruiting |
| Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY |
A Phase Ib/II Study of Intermittent Talazoparib Plus Temozolomide in Subjects with Metastatic Castration Resistant Prostate Cancer and No Mutations in DNA Damage Repair | NCT04019327 | Recruiting |
| Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY |
SAABR: Single Arm Phase II Study of Abiraterone + Atezolizumab + GnRH analog and Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy (SBRT) to the Prostate in Men with Newly Diagnosed Hormone-sensitive Metastatic Prostate Cancer | NCT04262154 | Recruiting |
Baltimore, MD
| Participating Hospital | Study Title | Trial Link | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, Baltimore, MD |
Phase II Study of Olaparib in Men with High-Risk Biochemically-Recurrent Prostate Cancer After Radical Prostatectomy, with Integrated Biomarker Analysis | NCT03047135 | Recruiting |
| Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, Baltimore, MD |
Phase II Trial of Rucaparib in Patients with Metastatic Hormone-Sensitive Prostate Cancer Harboring Germline DNA Repair Gene Mutations (TRIUMPH) | NCT03413995 | Recruiting |
Chicago, IL
| Participating Hospital | Study Title | Trial Link | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northwestern University, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL |
A Randomized Phase II Trial of Abiraterone, Olaparib, or Abiraterone + Olaparib in Patients with Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer with DNA Repair Defects | NCT03012321 | Recruiting |
| Northwestern University, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL |
A Multicenter, Open-Label, Parallel, Phase 1b/2a Study of PLX2853 in Combination with Abiraterone Acetate and Prednisone and Phase 1b/2a Study of PLX2853 in Combination with Olaparib in Subjects with Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer (mCRPC) | NCT04556617 | Recruiting |
Seattle, WA
| Participating Hospital | Study Title | Trial Link | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA |
Durvalumab (MEDI4736) and Olaparib (AZD2281) for treatment of biochemically recurrent prostate cancer in men predicted to have a high neoantigen load: a pilot study | NCT04336943 | Recruiting |
If you have any questions about PROMISE, please contact the study team at pcctcpromise@mskcc.org or 646-449-3363.
The PROMISE Team