The IDMC’s Recommendation to Unblind a Phase III Trial of Radium-223 in Combination with Abiraterone Acetate for Prostate Cancer
Breaking News about the ERA 223 Trial, a phase III trial of radium-223 in combination with abiraterone acetate and prednisone/prednisolone for patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer unblinded:
In early December 2017, the ERA 223 trial released safety concerns of the combination arm of abiraterone acetate and radium-223 of prostate cancer patients. The information released suggests that patients receiving radium-223 with abiraterone acetate had more incidences of bone fractures and deaths.
E. David Crawford is Professor of Urology at the University of California San Diego and emeritus distinguished endowed Professor of Surgery, Urology, and Radiation Oncology, and Head of the Section of Urologic Oncology at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora, Colorado. Dr. Crawford received his medical degree from the University of Cincinnati. His postgraduate training included an internship and residency in urology at the Good Samaritan Hospital in Cincinnati. He subsequently completed a genitourinary cancer fellowship at the University of California Medical Center in Los Angeles.
Dr. Crawford is an internationally-recognized expert in benign prostate hypertrophy, urologic cancers, and in particular, prostate cancer. He has conducted research in the treatment of advanced bladder cancer, metastatic adenocarcinoma of the prostate, hormone-refractory prostate cancer, and other areas of urological infections and malignancies. He has authored or coauthored over 810 scientific articles, has published seven textbooks, and authored over 60 book chapters. Dr. Crawford was Chairman of the Genitourinary Cancer Committee of the Southwest Oncology Group for 28 years. He is also the Founder and Chairman of the Prostate Conditions Education Council which is responsible for screening nearly four million men for prostate health issues and reaches more than 200 million people each year with education and awareness information. Dr. Crawford has received many honors and awards, including the CaP Cure Annual Award for Scientific Presentation, and has twice been presented with a “Freddie Award” at the AMA International Health and Medical Film Competition for best medical documentaries. He has been recognized as one of the Best Doctors of America for the past two decades and is recognized as one of the top 20 urologists in the country, for men, by Men’s Health Magazine. In 2018 he received the honor of being named the Distinguished Alumnus of the Year from the University of Cincinnati School of Medicine. In May of 2019, he received the Presidential citation from the American Urological Association recognizing him for his “tireless role in genitourinary cancer research that has benefited countless urologic cancer patients.” He accepted the position of Editor in Chief of Grand Rounds in Urology in June of 2019.