Jonathan Shoag

MD

Weill Cornell Medicine

Assistant professor

PLCO (Learn more about this study)

PLCO-701

Dec 21, 2020

Updates in lethal prostate cancer in the PLCO trial

Survival characteristics of patients in the PLCO trial were well described at the time of initial data publication. Prostate cancer is distinct from lung, colorectal, and ovarian malignancies, however, in that the tumors generally progress slowly and several years can lapse between diagnosis and death. As a consequence, mortality data is more likely to evolve significantly over time and impact results of previously published studies. We hope to utilize updated survival data from patients enrolled in the PLCO trial to shed light on lethal prostate cancer in the screening arm of the PLCO trial. We plan to analyze demographic and oncologic data amongst patients in the screening arm in relation to prostate cancer mortality. A granular understanding of this cohort of patients better informs the underpinnings of why cancer screenings fail, and is important in the interpretation of the trial's various conclusions. We anticipate that updated survival data on these cohorts will strengthen previous findings and have the potential to reveal novel predictors of cancer-specific mortality.