Mary-Ellen Taplin, MD, presented “Treatment of Oligometastatic Disease” during the 27th Annual Southwest Prostate Cancer Symposium conference on October 17, 2024, in Scottsdale, Arizona.
/p>
How to cite: Taplin, Mary-Ellen. “Treatment of Oligometastatic Disease.” October 17, 2024. Accessed Mar 2025. https://grandroundsinurology.com/treatment-of-oligometastatic-disease-2/
Treatment of Oligometastatic Disease – Summary
Mary-Ellen Taplin, MD, presents a comprehensive discussion on the evolving treatment landscape for oligometastatic prostate cancer. In this 21-minute presentation, Dr. Taplin examines the role of systemic therapy, radiation to metastases, and primary tumor treatment, emphasizing recent advancements in PET imaging that redefine disease classification.
Dr. Taplin shares clinical trials that demonstrate that oligometastatic prostate cancer may be curable. Systemic therapy remains the standard of care, with androgen deprivation therapy plus androgen receptor pathway inhibitors significantly improving survival. She relays emerging evidence that supports metastasis-directed therapy using SBRT, delaying the need for androgen deprivation therapy. PET imaging revolutionizes staging, revealing previously undetectable disease and influencing treatment strategies.
Dr. Taplin believes more trials are needed to refine therapeutic approaches and ensure optimal patient outcomes in the PET imaging era.
About the 27th Annual Southwest Prostate Cancer Symposium:
Presented by Program Chairs Nelson N. Stone, MD, Richard G. Stock, MD, and William K. Oh, MD, this conference educated attendees about advances in the management of localized and advanced prostate cancer, with a focus on imaging, technology, and training in the related devices. It included a scientific session, as well as live demonstrations of surgical techniques. You can learn more about the conference here.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mary-Ellen Taplin, MD, is a Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, Dana-FarberCancer Institute in Boston, Massachusetts. Dr. Taplin earned her MD from the University ofMassachusetts, Worcester. She completed Internal Medicine residency and chief residency at theUniversity of Massachusetts Medical Center and Hematology-Oncology fellowship at Beth IsraelHospital and Harvard Medical School. Before joining the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Dr. Taplinserved as an Assistant and then Associate Professor of Medicine at the University ofMassachusetts for ten years.
Dr. Taplin’s background includes comprehensive training in clinical practice, clinical trials, andcorrelative tumor analyses. As an academic Genitourinary Oncologist, her research interests areconcentrated on prostate cancer. She has focused on molecular analyses of androgen receptor(AR) and AR signaling in both localized high-risk and castration resistant prostate cancer(CRPC). Dr. Taplin created a valuable tumor bank of prostate cancer metastasis biopsies atDana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI). She is the DFCI site lead for the Prostate Cancer ClinicalTrials Consortium. She co-led the DFCI Stand Up to Cancer (SU2C) prostate cancer dream teamthat discovered the importance of mutations in DNA repair pathway genes in prostate cancer. Dr.Taplin has been awarded several Prostate Cancer Foundation challenge grants for her work. Sheis currently the PI of many trials including a phase 3 trial (PROTEUS) evaluating intensity ofandrogen deprivation therapy in localized high-risk prostate cancer and DFCI site PI of trialsevaluating EZH2 inhibitors and novel AR antagonists in metastatic CRPC.
In her role as Chair of the Executive Committee Clinical Research, Dr. Taplin oversees DFCIclinical research operations and mentors DFCI investigators in development of trials that havepotential to improve outcomes for cancer patients.
