Interview with Prof. Suneil Jain on prostate cancer treatment

There have been tremendous advances in treatment for those living with prostate cancer in recent years. Prof. Suneil Jain is a consultant in clinical oncology at Queens University, Belfast, who spends half his time undertaking prostate cancer research. The rest he spends treating patients with prostate cancer. In this interview, he shares updates on prostate cancer treatment, many of which were discussed at the 2024 ESMO congress.

Key learnings from Professor Suneil Jain

ARNOTE trial

In this interview, he reports on some exciting new trial results in prostate cancer treatment. A highlight is the ARANOTE trial, which is relevant to patients with metastatic hormone sensitive prostate cancer (mHSPC). The trial, which studied 669 patients, showed that Darolutamide reduced the risk of radiological progression or death by 46%.

PEACE-3 trial

Prof. Jain also talks of a study called PEACE-3, led by Silke Gillessen. This European study recruited over 400 test subjects with metastatic castrate resistant prostate cancer. Although Enzalutamide is a proven treatment in this space, the study showed that combining it with a bone protection agent improved overall survival.

TALAPRO-2 trial

The TALAPRO-2 trial studied Talazoparib. It compared Enzalutamide alone to Enzalutamide plus a PARP (Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase) inhibitor Talazoparib in all patients with mHSPC. A press release on the study has shown that, for the first time, there is an overall survival benefit for all  patients using this combination, showing Talazoparib to be a viable treatment option.

TRAP trial

The TRAP trial is something different. This innovative, UK-led trial explored the treatment options for men on advanced hormonal therapy for advanced prostate cancer, who had found new, hormone-resistant cancer growing elsewhere in their body. The trial posed the question that, if we used precise radiotherapy to target areas only where the cancer is growing, could we then continue that patient on their hormone treatment without the need for chemotherapy? The results seem to show that it is possible, bringing targeted radiotherapy into the field of advanced prostate cancer.