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Phillip J. Koo, MD

Phillip J. Koo, MD

Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center

Phoenix, Arizona

Phillip J. Koo, MD, is the Chief of Diagnostic Imaging at the Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center in Phoenix, Arizona. Prior to this, he was Chief of Nuclear Medicine and Associate Professor of Radiology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine in Aurora, Colorado. Dr. Koo completed his transitional internship at the University of Pennsylvania Medical Center-Presbyterian and his radiology residency at Pennsylvania Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania Health System in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He completed his fellowship at the Harvard Medical School Joint Program in Nuclear Medicine in Boston, Massachusetts. Dr. Koo is a diplomate of both the American Board of Radiology (ABR) and American Board of Nuclear Medicine(ABNM). His academic interests have focused on PET imaging in prostate cancer, response to novel therapies using PET, and data-driven motion correction. He has lectured nationally and internationally on topics related to imaging and radiopharmaceutical based therapies in prostate cancer. In 2022, Dr. Koo was the recipient of the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) Presidential Distinguished Service Award.

Disclosures:

Dr. Koo has the following disclosures:
Speaker: Bayer
Consultant: Janssen

Talks by Phillip J. Koo, MD

PET Tumor Board: Case #5

In this discussion, E. David Crawford, MD, Jack A. Vickers Director of Prostate Research and Professor of Urology at the University of California, San Diego, leads a discussion of the case study of a healthy 69-year-old male with a history of multiple BPH treatments presenting with Gleason Grade 2 prostate cancer. He presents this case study to a panel of experts comprised of:

Wayne G. Brisbane, MD – Assistant Professor of Urology at the University of California, Los Angeles.
Phillip J. Koo, MD – Division Chief of Diagnostic Imaging and Northwest Region Oncology Physician Executive at the Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center.
Daniel P. Petrylak, MD – Director of Genitourinary Oncology, Professor of Medicine and Urology, Co-Leader of Cancer Signaling Networks, and Co-Director of the Signal Transduction Program at Yale University Cancer Center.

After reviewing the patient’s treatment history, Dr. Crawford informs the panel that the patient initially presented with a PSA of 4.55 ng/ml, his 12 core biopsies were negative after 6 months of treatment, and he was placed on active surveillance post-biopsies. However, the patient returned one year after initial presentation with a PSA of 8.5 ng/ml. Dr. Crawford asks the panel to weigh in on next steps.

Dr. Petrylak recommends pursuing active surveillance based on the patient’s 2.1% Decipher score and the patient’s preference of preserving his quality of life. Dr. Koo suggests using an mpMRI to resolve the discordance between the PSA level and the negative biopsies.

Dr. Crawford shows the results from the patient’s POSLUMA scan which showed focal uptake in the right base of the prostate. Dr. Koo acknowledges that the scan results are promising, but he reminds the panel to be cautious about the sensitivity of PSMA PET before definitive therapy.

Dr. Crawford reveals that the patient had an mpMRI and 12 core biopsies in addition to the POSLUMA scan, all of which confirmed the presence of prostate cancer in the right base. The panel recommends focal therapy as a next step, and discusses the available options for focal therapy.
This is the fifth in a series of discussions on PSMA PET supported by Blue Earth Diagnostics. For the first installment, click here. For the second installment, click here. For the third installment, click here. For the fourth installment, click here.

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Role of Molecular Targeted Imaging in Oligometastatic Disease

Phillip J. Koo, MD, explores the current state and evolution of the role of molecular targeted imaging in oligometastatic prostate cancer. He begins by examining oligometastatic disease as a diagnosis, and highlights the importance of shared decision-making in approaching treatment and management.

Dr. Koo then reviews recent trials examining the impact of various treatments on oligometastatic disease, including the EMBARK, STOMP, and ORIOLE trials. He discusses weaknesses in these trials, with particular emphasis on the lack of risk stratification in each trial, and the lack of PSMA-PET in the EMBARK and STOMP trials.

On the topic of progression, Dr. Koo highlights current weaknesses in detecting microscopic disease, which allows micrometastatic disease to progress until it is oligometastatic disease. He discusses the weaknesses of BCR, and the low sensitivity of initial diagnostic imaging.

Dr. Koo concludes by outlining future directions for research. He emphasizes the importance of keeping patient goals top-of-mind when exploring treatments.

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Molecular Targeted Imaging

Phillip J. Koo, MD, gives a high-level overview of the current state of molecular targeted imaging in identifying prostate cancer. Dr. Koo begins by establishing the sensitivity and accuracy of PSMA PET molecular targeted imaging at various PSA levels. He compares the efficacy of the four most commonly used commercially available agents in PSMA PET, noting that there is no data available that indicates one agent is superior to another.

Dr. Koo then delves into the sensitivity of different PSMA PET agents, including Gallium-68-PSMA-11 and Fluorine-18-DCFPyl. He highlights that imaging is not yet a reliable replacement for prostatectomy, using a few case studies as supporting evidence.

Dr. Koo concludes by reviewing the issue of biochemical recurrence and how it impacts disease management. He notes that molecular targeted imaging can detect recurrences in different sites in the body, and how current data may support a more aggressive treatment approach in the future.

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Challenging Case Discussion Panel

Philip J. Koo, MD, discusses the intricate aspects of prostate cancer diagnosis and treatment. Dr. Koo delves into various challenging cases, shedding light on the significance of personalized approaches tailored to individual patients. The presentation focuses on the utilization of PSMA PET, an advanced imaging technique, which showcases promising performance in detecting localized disease. Drawing from the study conducted by Jeremie Calais, the audience learns about the notable comparison between fluciclovine and PSMA, revealing higher detection rates with the latter.

Furthermore, the potential application of PSMA PET in guiding biopsies is explored, demonstrating its potential to enhance diagnostic accuracy. As the presentation progresses, Dr. Koo provides a compelling case study involving a high-risk prostate cancer patient who presents with back pain and neck swelling. Dr. Koo emphasizes the critical role of biopsy in ensuring tissue concordance, thereby enabling accurate treatment decisions. Throughout the presentation, the complexities of low PSA levels become apparent, underlining the need for comprehensive evaluation in prostate cancer cases.

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Point-Counterpoint: Will Conventional Imaging Become Obsolete? – Pro

Philip J. Koo, MD, delves into the ProPSMA Study, shedding light on the remarkable superiority of PSMA PET over conventional imaging in detecting prostate cancer. The study’s findings showcased an impressive treatment impact of 92% for PSMA PET, surpassing the 65% achieved by conventional imaging, while also demonstrating fewer uncertain results.

Dr. Koo emphasizes that PSMA PET is recommended for patients classified as unfavorable, intermediate, high, and very high-risk, while low or intermediate-risk patients do not require conventional imaging. Moreover, the recognition of PSMA PET’s performance in response assessment is steadily growing, signaling its potential as a reliable and accurate tool in evaluating treatment effectiveness.

The increasing utilization of PSMA PET in other countries hints at an imminent shift in the global landscape of prostate cancer imaging. With ongoing advancements and cost reductions, the wider accessibility and affordability of PSMA PET hold the promise of revolutionizing the field and improving patient outcomes on a global scale.

This lecture is part of a Point-Counterpoint debate. Its opposing lecture is “Point-Counterpoint: Will Conventional Imaging Become Obsolete? – Con.”

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