EMUC 2019: The 11th European Multidisciplinary Congress on Urological Cancers

The 11th European Multidisciplinary Congress on Urological Cancers (EMUC19) delivered a number of exciting and timely sessions, involving discussions on the rapidly changing treatment landscape for prostate cancer, the latest clinical trial data, new molecular biomarkers for genitourinary (GU) cancers, and the potential for non-invasive liquid biopsies (ctDNA testing) to improve diagnostic approach.

A key EMUC19 event of great relevance to changing clinical practice for prostate cancer care was the EACCME accredited symposium ‘ARE YOU TESTING? DNA repair alterations in prostate cancer care and cascade testing in family members’. This forward-thinking, solution-based symposium was chaired by the leading expert Dr Neal Shore of the Carolina Urologic Research Centre (USA) and touched on many topics that were highly relevant to the overall theme at EMUC19.

Together with a world leading expert faculty panel that included Professor Johann de Bono from the Institute of Cancer Research (UK) and Dr Alex Wyatt of the Vancouver Prostate Centre (Canada), EPG Health developed this independent, grant-funded symposium detailing and challenging the current thinking in the following areas:

• the latest NCCN guideline recommendations to test for DNA repair gene alterations in prostate cancer
• the impact of DNA repair gene alterations on prostate cancer clinical practice
• the latest clinical trial data for PARP inhibitors in prostate cancer
• molecular diagnostics for assessing DNA repair gene alterations

To highlight how the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guideline recommendations could impact on day-to-day clinical practice, a typically presenting metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) patient case study was threaded throughout the three sessions. Watch the full session content to see how audience interactivity was used to measure audience understanding, and also to observe audience behaviour change following the sessions based on the patient case outcome.

Challenge your own understanding of the guidelines and reflect on how your clinical practice may change.

Short on time? View these 5-minute session highlights

Session 1 highlight

Dr Neal Shore from the Carolina Urologic Research Centre (USA) is an internationally recognised expert and researcher in systemic therapies for patients with advanced urologic cancers. Here, Dr Shore introduces the NCCN recommendations to carry out molecular testing for germline DNA repair gene alterations in prostate cancer, and clearly defines the difference between germline and somatic mutations.

Session 2 highlight

Professor Johann de Bono from the Institute of Cancer Research (UK) has led many pivotal clinical trials on targeted cancer therapies for prostate cancer, and he has heavily influenced the rapidly changing treatment landscape. In his talk, he explains how cells repair DNA damage, as well as the prevalence and clinical impact of DNA repair gene alterations in prostate cancer.

Session 3 highlight

Dr Alex Wyatt from the Vancouver Prostate Centre (Canada) leads a research laboratory that aims to identify and understand the clinical relevance of genomic alterations in metastatic prostate cancer. In this 5-minute highlight, Dr Wyatt discusses the pros and cons of the different types of prostate tumour material that can be used to detect DNA repair gene alterations.

Panel discussion highlight

Dr Neal Shore chairs a highly informative panel discussion with experts Professor Johann de Bono and Dr Alex Wyatt. Key discussion points include PARP inhibitor cross resistance with platinum and liquid biopsy testing in practice.