The 10th International Congress on Genitourinary Malignancies adopted an original approach this year by including interactive panel discussions and case-based vignettes that encourage individualized care. The purpose of this event was to present a review of current treatment strategies for all stages of kidney, bladder, and prostate cancers, including clinical and molecular disease characterization, prevention, prognostication, multimodality management of disease, and new therapeutic agents, as well as to provide updates on recent breakthroughs.
The recurring theme was genitourinary malignancies. However, the congress also addressed other areas of interest and related diseases and cancers, such as mesothelioma, as it is in the interest of future genitourinary malignancies research to promote collaboration in the field.
Malignant mesothelioma is a rare type of cancer affecting the lining of the chest and/or abdomen. Those with exposure to airborne asbestos particles are more likely to develop the mesothelioma disease. The life expectancy and survival rate depends on timely mesothelioma diagnosis. Due to the fact that mesothelioma is difficult to detect early on, it is generally fatal.
A mesothelioma treatment guide may call for treatment with any of the three common cancer fighting techniques: chemotherapy, radiation and therapy. Yet because the disease’s high rate of mortality, aggressive treatment approaches are not uncommon and often combine mesothelioma surgery with chemotherapy and/or radiation.
The international congress not only targeted medical, surgical and radiation oncologists, including mesothelioma specialists and urologists interested in treating patients with genitourinary malignancies, but it is also included nurse practitioners, nurses, physician assistants, pharmacists, researchers and other health care professionals.
At the conclusion of the Congress, the participants were well-acquainted with the main theme and highly informed on how to:
- differentiate patient prognostic groups based on pretreatment risk features in renal cell carcinoma
- select appropriate targeted therapies for the treatment of advanced renal cell carcinoma based on patient characteristics and prior therapy
- evaluate the efficacy and safety of different sequential and combination therapy options for advanced renal cell carcinoma
- monitor and provide supportive therapy for treatment-related toxicities in patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma.
- incorporate current evidence-supported treatment into the management of all stages of bladder cancer
- identify genetic markers associated with prognosis in prostate cancer
- appraise the risk-benefit profile of chemoprevention strategies for individual patients with prostate cancer
- integrate updated concepts for multimodality treatment, including surgery, radiation therapy, and hormonal therapy, into the management of patients with localized and high-risk prostate cancer.
- evaluate the role of novel immunotherapies and targeted agents in the treatment of castrate-resistant prostate cancer
- assess the genesis of therapy resistance in prostate cancer and renal cell carcinoma.
- assess the role of bone-targeted therapies in the management of patients with advanced prostate cancer.
For additional information, please visit the 10th International Congress on Genitourinary Malignancies Web page:
http://www.cancerlearning.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/conference.showOverview/id/5/conference_id/525
Mesothelioma.com is a leading Internet resource for mesothelioma information, as well as content focused on other forms of cancer.
