Genomic biomarkers in prostate cancer.

Prostate cancer is the most common non-cutaneous cancer among men in the United States. In the last decade there has been a rapid expansion in the field of biomarker assays for diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment prediction in prostate cancer. The evidence base for these assays is rapidly evolving. With several commercial assays available at each stage of the disease, deciding which genomic assays are appropriate for which patients can be nuanced for physicians. In an effort to help guide these decisions in clinical practice, we aim to give an update on the current status of the biomarker field of prostate cancer

Traditional and Virtual Congress Meetings During the COVID-19 Pandemic and the Post-COVID-19 Era: Is it Time to Change the Paradigm?

The speed and reach of the COVID-19 pandemic have forced rapid changes in how we conduct medical practice and research. The rapid evolution in how scientific meetings are conducted may have long-term benefits. A new reality in which technology and sociality are merged may offer a more engaging and adaptable scientific congress experience with more flexible and dynamic use of content modulated to the needs of each attendee

High-throughput, Efficient, and Unbiased Capture of Small RNAs from Low-input Samples for Sequencing.

MicroRNAs hold great promise as biomarkers of disease. However, there are few efficient and robust methods for measuring microRNAs from low input samples. Here, we develop a high-throughput sequencing protocol that efficiently captures small RNAs while minimizing inherent biases associated with library production. The protocol is based on early barcoding such that all downstream manipulations can be performed on a pool of many samples thereby reducing reagent usage and workload. We show that the optimization of adapter concentrations along with the addition of nucleotide modifications and random nucleotides increases the efficiency of small RNA capture. We further show, using unique molecular identifiers, that stochastic capture of low input RNA rather than PCR amplification influences the biased quantitation of intermediately and lowly expressed microRNAs. Our improved method allows the processing of tens to hundreds of samples simultaneously while retaining high efficiency quantitation of microRNAs in low input samples from tissues or bodily fluids

Disparities in prostate cancer treatment associated with population density of the county of residence.

117 Background: We sought to assess disparities in primary treatment of prostate cancer by examining the effect of population density of the county of residence on treatment for clinically localized prostate cancer and quantify variation in primary treatment attributable to county and SEER site. Methods: Participants included 138,226 men with clinically localized prostate cancer who underwent surgery, radiation, or conservative therapy in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Result (SEER) database diagnosed in 2005 through 2008. Mixed effects hierarchical logit models were used to examine the effect of population density of the county of residence on treatment while accounting for the random effects of counties nested within SEER sites. In order to quantify the effect of county and SEER site on individual treatment, the percent of total variance in treatment attributable to county of residence and SEER site was estimated with residual intraclass correlation coefficients. Results: Men in metropolitan counties had 23% higher odds of being treated compared with men in rural counties, controlling for number of urologists per county as well as patient clinical and sociodemographic characteristics. Age, race/ethnicity, PSA at diagnosis, and tumor characteristics were also significant predictors of treatment in the multivariable model. The percent of variation in treatment attributable to the county of residence was consistently higher than that attributable to SEER site. 3% (95% CI: 1.2%-6.2%) of the total variation in treatment was attributable to SEER site, while 6% (95% CI: 4.3%-9.0%) of variation was attributable to county of residence, controlling for clinical and sociodemographic characteristics. This variation at the county and SEER site increased to 4% and 10%, respectively, when specific type of treatment (surgery or radiation) was assessed. Conclusions: Variation in treatment for localized prostate cancer exists for men living in different population dense counties of the country. These findings highlight the need for comparative effectiveness research and health policy initiatives to advance prostate cancer research and reduce disparities in current clinical practice

The example of CaPSURE: lessons learned from a national disease registry

IntroductionAlthough randomized controlled trials (RCTs) remain the gold standard for determining evidence-based clinical practices, large disease registries that enroll large numbers of patients have become paramount as a relatively cost-effective additional tool.MethodsWe highlight the advantages of disease registries focusing on the example of prostate cancer and the Cancer of the Prostate Strategic Urologic Research Endeavor (CaPSURE™) registry.ResultsCaPSURE collects approximately 1,000 clinical and patient-reported variables, in over 13,000 men that are enrolled. Thus far, CaPSURE has yielded over 130 peer-reviewed publications, with several others in press, in key areas of risk migration, practice patterns, outcome prediction, and quality of life outcomes.ConclusionsDisease registries, like CaPSURE complement RCTs and CaPSURE, have provided a means to better understand many aspects of prostate cancer epidemiology, practice patterns, oncologic and HRQOL outcomes, and costs of care across populations. Specialized observational disease registries such as CaPSURE provide insight and have broad implications for disease management and policy