When former President Joe Biden announced his metastatic prostate cancer diagnosis yesterday, thousands of men dealing with similar diagnoses saw their condition thrust into the national spotlight. For these patients, understanding the current treatment landscape offers critical context for navigating their own healthcare decisions.
Prostate cancer remains the second leading cause of cancer death in American men, behind only lung cancer. According to the American Cancer Society, more than 310,000 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer this year. While most localized cases are treatable, once the cancer metastasizes beyond the prostate, the five year survival rate drops to 37 percent. The advanced form of this disease requires specialized treatment approaches that continue to evolve, reflecting healthcare innovators translation of new discoveries into new and more precision interventions.
“Cancer touches us all. Like so many of you, Jill and I have learned that we are strongest in the broken places. Thank you for lifting us up with love and support,” Biden wrote in a post on X.com (Twitter).
ASCO to Showcase Prostate Cancer Therapies
At the upcoming American Society of Cancer Oncology meeting later this month, more than 250 abstracts, presentations, posters and panels will discuss updated and new approaches to treating prostate cancer. Many are focused on finding better ways to treat men whose cancer has spread or returned after earlier treatment. These include using stronger combinations of hormone-blocking drugs, new forms of targeted radiation, and medicines that can help the immune system fight cancer.
Some presentations will explore how to match treatments to a person’s unique tumor biology, while others look at using AI to predict which treatments might work best. The ability to identify specific genetic alterations in prostate cancer has opened doors to more personalized treatment approaches. For patients with specific gene mutations, targeted treatment options have demonstrated effectiveness in extending progression-free survival.
Targeted radiation therapies have also transformed the treatment landscape. Radium-223, a radioactive particle that targets cancer in the bones, can extend survival in patients with bone metastases. The FDA first approved its use for prostate cancer in 2013. Additionally, prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) targeted therapies, such as those that use the radioactive isotope lutetium-177 (177Lu), allow for more precise delivery of radiation to cancer cells wherever they are located in the body.
Startups Tackle Prostate Cancer Testing
Startups are working on new and easier ways to find and treat prostate cancer. Instead of relying only on older tests like blood work or uncomfortable exams, some companies are creating better screening tools that use urine, spit or small changes in the body’s cells to catch cancer earlier and more accurately.
One example is Gregor Diagnostics, a startup developing a urine-based test designed to catch prostate cancer earlier than current methods. Another company, Cleveland Diagnostics, created a blood test that looks at the structure of PSA proteins, not just how much is in the blood, to better tell the difference between harmless and harmful conditions. These new tools aim to reduce unnecessary biopsies and give patients more accurate answers, faster.
Others are using high-tech scans and AI to spot signs of cancer in imaging that might be missed by the human eye. This can help doctors decide whether someone needs treatment or can safely wait and monitor things over time. Lucida Medical, for example, has built an AI tool that reads MRI scans and helps doctors spot dangerous tumors with more accuracy.
Another startup, Exact Imaging, uses a new kind of ultrasound that shows more detail than standard scans, making it easier to find cancer during a biopsy. These technologies help doctors better understand how serious the cancer is, so they can avoid treating tumors that aren’t likely to cause harm.
There are also new ways to treat prostate cancer that try to do less damage to healthy parts of the body. One company, Avenda Health, uses AI to create 3D maps of the prostate, helping doctors target only the cancer while avoiding healthy tissue. Another startup, Francis Medical, is testing a treatment that uses heated water vapor to destroy tumors without surgery.
These approaches aim to reduce unnecessary surgeries and treatments for men who have prostate cancer, and prevent cases before they become as aggressive and widespread as Biden’s.
“This news is a reminder about the tragic impact of prostate cancer in the United States, where about one in eight men will be diagnosed over their lifetime with prostate cancer,” ASCO posted on their website today. “We can and must do more to prevent late-stage diagnosis and death from prostate cancer.”