Prostate Cancer Awareness Month: 2021 Immunotherapy Research Updates

A trio of CRI scientists are aiming to improve outcomes for prostate cancer patients receiving immunotherapy by taking clinical insights from patient data back to the lab—a process called reverse translation.

Sumit K. Subudhi, MD, PhD, Padmanee Sharma, MD, PhD, and James P. Allison, PhD, SU2C-CRI Immunology Dream Team Investigators at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, found specific markers among a subset of patients with metastatic, castration-resistant prostate cancer that may help improve the ability to select patients who may be more likely to respond to treatment with checkpoint blockade. In a study published in Science Translational Medicine, their team demonstrated that some patients may benefit from ipilimumab, a CTLA-4 checkpoint inhibitor, despite fewer mutations in the tumor that are key to our immune system’s ability to recognize and attack cancer.

This September for Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, we examine promising new treatments, new research, and how we’re working toward a future immune to prostate cancer.

Ask Your Immunotherapy Questions

Join Dr. Ana Aparicio of MD Anderson Cancer Center at the 2021 CRI Virtual Immunotherapy Patient Summit on October 7–8, 2021 in a live discussion about cancer vaccines, checkpoint inhibitors, and more immunotherapies for prostate cancer. This free event connects you with cancer patients and leading oncologists from the comfort of your own home.

Treatment Update for Prostate Cancer

At the 2020 CRI Virtual Immunotherapy Patient Summit, CRI scientist Dr. Sumit Subudhi of MD Anderson Cancer Center, answered questions from prostate cancer patients and caregivers about clinical trials, genome sequencing, combination therapies, and cancer vaccines.

Prostate Cancer Patient Story

After retiring as a UPS delivery driver, Isadore learned he had prostate cancer. He was treated with sipuleucel-T, a dendritic cell-based therapeutic cancer vaccine, that recruits the immune system in to fight prostate cancer. Now, Isadore is living well and cancer-free.

Read Isadore’s prostate cancer story

Prostate Cancer Scientist Spotlight

CRI Scientific Advisory Council member Dr. Nina Bhardwaj leads a clinical study examining combinations of two checkpoint immunotherapies, plus an immune-stimulating adjuvant, in a wide variety of patients diagnosed with several cancers, some including breast, bladder, prostate, and kidney cancer.

Learn about Dr. Bhardwaj’s cancer research

Immunotherapy for Prostate Cancer Info Update

Conventional treatments for early-stage prostate cancer include surgery, radiation, and hormone therapy. There are currently two FDA-approved immunotherapy options for prostate cancer. As the research and treatment landscape evolves, we keep our information up to date.

View Prostate Cancer Update

Find a Prostate Cancer Clinical Trial

A variety of new and promising cancer immunotherapy treatments are only available to patients in clinical trials. Help speed the development of potentially lifesaving drugs. Discover trials for which you or a loved one may be eligible with the CRI Immunotherapy Clinical Trial Finder.

Find a cancer clinical trial

Support Prostate Cancer Research

In 2019, the CRI Anna-Maria Kellen Clinical Accelerator in collaboration with the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy launched a prostate cancer platform clinical trial evaluating different treatment combinations including the PD-1 inhibitor nivolumab. This Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, support lifesaving cancer immunotherapy research.

Donate to Prostate Cancer Research