Eleni Efstathiou, MD

Formal study discussant Eleni Efstathiou, MD, of MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, commented on results of the PROfound trial at the ESMO Congress 2019. “This is the first phase III targeted therapy trial to deliver a positive outcome in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer,” she said. “This is truly a practice-changing study, not just for our patients but for the design of other studies. We can successfully identify candidates for olaparib. We saw a clinically meaningful improvement in outcomes for patients with homologous recombinant repair genetic alterations, driven mainly by BRCA2,” added Dr. Efstathiou.

“We are entering the targeted therapy era for prostate cancer, and we can go to marker-driven research that is specific to DNA damage and repair alteration. We need to treat earlier in the disease and decide which genes to target. We will need community education to secure access [through genomic testing] to these novel strategies. This trial moves the field forward. We strive for progress—not perfection—and this trial represents progress,” Dr. Efstathiou told listeners. 

DISCLOSURE: Dr. Efstathiou reported financial relationships with Bayer HealthCare, Takeda Pharmaceuticals North America, Tolmar, Sanofi, Astellas Pharma, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, and Medivation.