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Juanita M. Crook, MD, FRCPC

Juanita M. Crook, MD, FRCPC

University of British Columbia

Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada

Juanita M. Crook, MD, FRCPC, completed her medical training at the University of Toronto and her Residency in Radiation Oncology at Princess Margaret Hospital. She is currently a Professor of Radiation Oncology at the University of British Columbia in Kelowna. She is a radiation oncologist at the BC Cancer Agency Sindi Ahluwalia Hawkins Centre for the Southern Interior, also in Kelowna, where she has developed image-guided HDR gynecologic brachytherapy, US-planned HDR prostate brachytherapy, and permanent seed brachytherapy for breast cancer.

Previously a Professor of Radiation Oncology at the University of Toronto/University Health Network and Associate Professor at the University of Ottawa, she has a particular interest in intermittent androgen suppression, post-radiation prostate biopsies, and penile brachytherapy. She has written more than 20 book chapters and over 200 journal articles and is a frequent speaker at international meetings where she presents in English, French, and Spanish. She was Scientific Chair of the 2007 American Brachytherapy Society meeting and frequently teaches at the ABS Prostate Brachytherapy School. She is the Former President of the Board of the American Brachytherapy Society and the recipient of the Thom Shanahan Distinguished Brachytherapy Educator Award.

Disclosures:

Talks by Juanita M. Crook, MD, FRCPC

Focal Brachytherapy for Prostate Cancer

Juanita M. Crook, MD, FRCPC, discusses the use of focal brachytherapy for prostate cancer treatment. She highlights the importance of patient selection, technical considerations, efficacy, and post-focal therapy monitoring. Dr. Crook demonstrates the significance of accurate localization through mpMRI and template mapping biopsies for precise treatment planning for patients with favorable-risk disease and a low disease burden.

Dr. Crook discusses the evolution of active surveillance in managing low-risk patients. She also emphasizes the need for careful candidate selection, considering factors like unilateral disease, lower intermediate risk, PSA levels, and life expectancy.

Dr. Crook touches upon various focal therapy scenarios which should be tailored to the patient’s specific case. She discusses options which fall under the umbrella of focal therapy such as low dose rate (LDR) or high dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy, cryotherapy, and HIFU.

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Treatment of Oligometastatic Disease

Juanita M. Crook, MD, FRCPC defines the clinical criteria for oligometastatic prostate cancer, highlighting the significance of accurate staging and advanced imaging techniques in identifying patients who may benefit from targeted treatments. She emphasizes new evidence suggesting that aggressive local and systemic therapies can achieve prolonged disease control and possibly cure in select patients.
Dr. Crook presents various treatment modalities, including stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT), surgery, and systemic therapies such as androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) and novel hormonal agents. She presents data from recent clinical trials demonstrating the efficacy of SBRT in controlling metastatic lesions. Additionally, she explores the role of metastasis-directed therapy (MDT) in delaying the initiation of systemic treatments and reducing treatment-related side effects.

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