Breaking Ground: Highlights from the 31st Annual Prostate Cancer Foundation Scientific Retreat

Major Advances in PSMA-Targeted Therapy and Veterans Research Take Center Stage

Carlsbad, CA – The 31st Annual Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF) Scientific Retreat, held October 24-26, 2024, at the Omni La Costa Resort, brought together leading prostate cancer researchers from around the world to share groundbreaking discoveries and forge new collaborative pathways toward a cure.

About the Scientific Retreat

Since 1993, PCF has hosted this annual gathering, which has become the foremost scientific conference in the world on the biology and treatment of prostate cancer. The diversity, novelty, and extremely high impact of the topics presented, along with the excellence of the invited attendees, make this a unique conference that reflects PCF's unyielding commitment to ending death and suffering from prostate cancer.

This year's retreat featured specialized programs including the PCF Young Investigator Forum (October 23) for 2020-2024 PCF Young Investigators and the PCF Gender Equity Networking Initiative (October 24), demonstrating the foundation's commitment to supporting the next generation of researchers and promoting diversity in science.

Revolutionary PSMA-Targeted Treatments Show Promise Earlier in Disease Course

One of the most significant developments highlighted at the retreat centered on advances in PSMA (Prostate Specific Membrane Antigen) targeting approaches. PCF has invested more than $63 million in this technology, which allows doctors to both see small amounts of prostate cancer anywhere in the body and treat it by delivering cancer-killing medicines directly to the cells.

Currently, 177-Lutetium-PSMA-617 (Pluvicto®) is FDA-approved for patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) whose cancer has worsened after treatment with an androgen receptor pathway inhibitor (ARPI) and chemotherapy. However, recent trial results presented at the retreat revealed important insights about expanding its use.

Key Clinical Trial Results:

  • PSMAFORE and SPLASH trials tested PSMA-targeted radionuclide therapies versus ARPI switches earlier in the disease course. Results showed that treatment improved outcomes only when using higher and more frequent dosing, highlighting the critical importance of optimal treatment schedules.
  • The Upfront PSMA trial demonstrated promising results when combining docetaxel with 177-Lutetium-PSMA-617 in metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer, potentially expanding treatment options to earlier stages.
  • TheraP trial compared 177-Lutetium-PSMA-617 to cabazitaxel chemotherapy in men with mCRPC, providing valuable comparative effectiveness data.
  • New imaging agents like Copper-64 Sarbis PSMA are showing promise for early assessment of recurrent prostate cancer.

VA-MAPP: A Powerful New Research Platform for Veterans

A major announcement was the launch of VA-MAPP (VA Multi-omics Analysis Platform for Prostate Cancer), a comprehensive dataset that leverages the Department of Veterans Affairs' extensive 25-year electronic health record—the oldest in the U.S.

This platform provides rich data on Veterans' clinical history, social determinants of health (income, race/ethnicity, neighborhood socioeconomic status), lifestyle factors, and environmental and military exposures. VA-MAPP comprises two components:

  1. Existing data collection from 11 million Veterans at risk of prostate cancer, including over 1 million diagnosed cases and 83,000 with metastatic disease
  2. Prospective sample collection from patients undergoing prostate cancer diagnosis and treatment through an informed consent process

This vast dataset will enable researchers to address urgent questions about environmental exposures, treatment response prediction, and health disparities that have long challenged the field.

Artificial Intelligence Transforming Prostate Cancer Care

The retreat featured extensive discussions on AI's expanding role in prostate cancer research and patient care. Sessions addressed how artificial intelligence is revolutionizing diagnostic medicine, treatment planning, and patient outcomes prediction. This represents a significant evolution from earlier retreats, showing how computational biology and AI applications have moved from experimental concepts to practical clinical tools.

Novel Drug Development and Clinical Advances

Several companies presented promising data on next-generation therapies. Auron Therapeutics highlighted updated preclinical results for AUTX-703, an oral, potent and selective degrader of KAT2A/B being developed for neuroendocrine carcinomas including NEPC. The company is preparing to submit an Investigational New Drug (IND) application in late 2024, with clinical development planned for early 2025.

The retreat also covered new drug targets to overcome treatment resistance, reflecting the ongoing challenge of developing therapies that can outpace cancer's ability to adapt and evolve.

The 2024 State of Science Report: Comprehensive Documentation of Progress

Since 2008, PCF has published an annual State of the Science Report that summarizes presentations and discussions from each retreat. The 2024 report, now available for download, serves as a comprehensive resource for researchers, clinicians, and patients.

The report documents the retreat's core research themes:

  • Basic biology and genetics research advancing our understanding of prostate cancer mechanisms
  • Clinical trials demonstrating new treatment approaches and optimal dosing strategies
  • Novel drug targets and combination therapies to overcome resistance
  • AI applications in diagnosis, treatment planning, and outcome prediction
  • Health habits, nutrition, and lifestyle factors affecting survivorship
  • Health equity initiatives addressing disparities in care and outcomes

This documentation creates an invaluable bridge between cutting-edge research and clinical practice, helping translate laboratory discoveries into improved patient care. PCF hopes these reports will stimulate further dialogue, data exchange, and collaborative research that accelerates progress toward better treatments and a cure.

Looking Ahead: Implications for Patients

The advances presented at the 31st retreat offer concrete hope for improved outcomes across the prostate cancer treatment spectrum. Key takeaways for patients include:

  • Earlier intervention opportunities with PSMA-targeted therapies moving into earlier disease stages
  • Precision dosing strategies that optimize treatment effectiveness while minimizing side effects
  • Enhanced research capabilities through platforms like VA-MAPP that will accelerate discovery
  • AI-powered diagnostics improving accuracy and speed of cancer detection and monitoring
  • Focus on health equity ensuring advances benefit all patients regardless of background

The retreat's emphasis on collaboration, mentorship, and inclusion ensures these scientific advances will translate into meaningful improvements in patient care. With over three decades of fostering this collaborative culture, PCF continues to accelerate understanding of prostate cancer biology and expand the treatment landscape for the more than 3 million U.S. men currently battling this disease.

Sources and Citations

  1. Prostate Cancer Foundation. (2024). Highlights of the 31st Annual PCF Scientific Retreat. Prostate Cancer Foundation. Retrieved from https://www.pcf.org/c/highlights-of-the-31st-annual-pcf-scientific-retreat-2/
  2. Prostate Cancer Foundation. (2024). 31st Annual Scientific Retreat Agenda. Prostate Cancer Foundation. Retrieved from https://www.pcf.org/scientific-retreat/31st-annual/scientific-retreat-agenda/
  3. Prostate Cancer Foundation. (2025). Scientific Retreat - Reports. Prostate Cancer Foundation. Retrieved from https://www.pcf.org/scientific-retreat/reports/
  4. Auron Therapeutics. (2024, October 11). Auron Announces Poster Presentation at 2024 PCF Annual Scientific Retreat. Company News Release. Retrieved from https://www.aurontx.com/news/auron-announces-poster-presentation-at-2024-pcf-annual-scientific-retreat
  5. Prostate Cancer Foundation. (2024). 31st Annual PCF Scientific Retreat Poster Abstracts. Prostate Cancer Foundation. Retrieved from https://www.pcf.org/scientific-retreat/31st-annual/poster-abstracts/
  6. Miyahira, A. K., & Soule, H. R. (2024). The 30th Annual Prostate Cancer Foundation Scientific Retreat Report. The Prostate, 84(14), 1271-1289. doi: 10.1002/pros.24768. Retrieved from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39021296/
  7. Miyahira, A. K., & Soule, H. R. (2024). The 29th Annual Prostate Cancer Foundation Scientific Retreat Report. The Prostate, 84(2), 113-130. doi: 10.1002/pros.24640. Retrieved from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37915138/
  8. Prostate Cancer Foundation. (2024). Annual Scientific Retreats. Prostate Cancer Foundation. Retrieved from https://www.pcf.org/scientific-retreat/annual-scientific-retreats/
The 31st Annual Prostate Cancer Foundation Scientific Retreat Report - Miyahira - The Prostate - Wiley Online Library

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