Europa Uomo provides patient perspective in research

Europa Uomo is a partner in a new trial of prostate cancer treatment being organised by the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC).

The new DE-ESCALATE study will investigate treatments for metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (mHSPC). Currently, the standard of care is androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) with the addition of, for example, an androgen receptor pathway inhibitor (ARPI). However, this combined treatment (ADT+) can cause serious side effects which affect quality of life.

The trial will investigate what happens if treatment is paused, to reduce side effects. Patients will be put on ADT+ until their PSA level drops and shows that the treatment is working. At that point the ADT+ treatment will be paused until the PSA increases again. This intervention will be compared to the standard of care, where the treatment is not paused.

Endpoints will include overall survival and elements of quality of life.

Europa Uomo’s overall role will be to represent the patient voice, says Vice Chairman Erik Briers.

“In DE-ESCALATE, we have as specific play a role in defining the major measuring tools for sexual dysfunction caused by the ADT+ treatment and to measure if patients recover when this treatment is paused,” he says. “But we are also being consulted widely.”