Highlighting APCCC 2024: An International Prostate Cancer Meeting - Silke Gillessen & Aurelius Omlin
January 31, 2024
Alicia Morgans hosts a discussion with Professors Silke Gillessen and Aurelius Omlin about the upcoming APCCC 2024, emphasizing its significance for the prostate cancer community. The congress invites all interested in prostate cancer management, offering a blend of clinical and translational research insights. The conversation also touches on the congress's inclusivity, encouraging participation from a global audience with free virtual access for those from low and low-middle-income countries. The APCCC aims to bridge gaps in clinical practice by sharing expert consensus on complex cases, particularly in areas lacking robust data. This hybrid event promises valuable networking opportunities and the chance to engage directly with leading experts in the picturesque setting of Lugano, Switzerland.
Biographies:
Silke Gillessen, MD, Medical Oncologist, Medical and Scientific Director, L'Istituto Oncologico della Svizzera Italiana (IOSI), Bellinzona, Switzerland
Aurelius Omlin, MD, Medical Oncologist, Cantonal Hospital St. Gallen, St. Gallen, Switzerland
Alicia Morgans, MD, MPH, Genitourinary Medical Oncologist, Medical Director of Survivorship Program at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA
Biographies:
Silke Gillessen, MD, Medical Oncologist, Medical and Scientific Director, L'Istituto Oncologico della Svizzera Italiana (IOSI), Bellinzona, Switzerland
Aurelius Omlin, MD, Medical Oncologist, Cantonal Hospital St. Gallen, St. Gallen, Switzerland
Alicia Morgans, MD, MPH, Genitourinary Medical Oncologist, Medical Director of Survivorship Program at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA
Related Content:
2024 Written Conference Summaries Coming Soon
25-27 April, 2024 - Lugano, Switzerland Advanced Prostate Cancer Consensus Conference (APCCC) 2024
APCCC24 Detailed program (subject to minor changes)
Navigating the Future of Prostate Cancer Treatment and Global Access at APCCC 2024 - Silke Gillessen
View 2022 APCCC Video Conversations and Presentation Highlights
View 2022 APCCC Written Conference Summaries
2024 Written Conference Summaries Coming Soon
25-27 April, 2024 - Lugano, Switzerland Advanced Prostate Cancer Consensus Conference (APCCC) 2024
APCCC24 Detailed program (subject to minor changes)
Navigating the Future of Prostate Cancer Treatment and Global Access at APCCC 2024 - Silke Gillessen
View 2022 APCCC Video Conversations and Presentation Highlights
View 2022 APCCC Written Conference Summaries
Read the Full Video Transcript
Alicia Morgans: Hello. I am so excited to be here with Professor Silke Gillessen and also Professor Aurelius Omlin, where we are talking about APCCC 2024, our excitement about this Congress coming up, and thinking through how we can get there, and what we're going to hear about when we're there. Thank you so much both of you for being here. And Silke, will you start us off? How do people get to APCCC 2024?
Silke Gillessen: Yes. Thanks, Alicia, again, for inviting us. And yeah, I want to make save the date, so it's really important. The Congress starts on the 25th of April this year. And it's, as always, a Thursday, and a Friday, and the half of the Saturday. And there is also for everyone who's interested in translational research on the 24th, there's a day full of translational research for people who have also interest in that.
And for register for both things, the classical APCCC and the translational day, you just have to go on the website that is, I think in my background, www.apccc.org, and you can register. And everyone can register, because we sometimes hear that people think only panelists can be at the conference, but in reality, it's really open for everyone who has interest in the management of prostate cancer.
Alicia Morgans: Fantastic. And I think-
Silke Gillessen: Oh, and I forgot something. Yes. Because there's the deadline of the 22nd of February for the early bird rates. So everyone who wants to register, and I hope there's a lot of you out there, please register before that date.
And maybe I ask my friend, Aurelius Omlin, what is his favorite topic for this year?
Aurelius Omlin: Thank you, Silke, and thank you, Alicia, for this opportunity. I just finished a very long MDT that we discussed so many cases, and I realized when I look at the program of APCCC, it's so relevant to what you see in your daily practice and at your MDT. And when you have to discuss, especially for example, locally advanced prostate cancer, how do we best treat these patients, or patients that are locally advanced and have a PSMA PET imaging, and one bone lesion that is always discussed. Is it a met or not? And even if it is or if it's not, then we have a long discussion on how to best treat our patients.
Often, there's not only one right or wrong, but I think at APCCC, there's a unique opportunity to hear world experts talk about these topics. You can meet them in the breaks and you can approach these people, and there will be a lot of questions that we are busy preparing now, where we are going to show what the experts wrote on these areas where maybe the evidence is not as clear as we often wish it would be.
Silke Gillessen: And we show that it is interesting, because we had our own MDT as well, and also a long one tonight, and I thought exactly the same thing. Because we had a case of a really young patient with PN plus disease with four lymph nodes, and also there, as we know, there's no good data. I mean, there is these old missing data that really have done, this trial is so small, and it was done such a long time ago. And I think it's really important for us to realize, what are experts doing who's seen that a lot, have a lot of experience. And I mean, we have all these questions prepared, and more than 120 panelists who will vote on them. And I think, I hope really, it's going to be afterwards, and very helpful for clinical practice.
Alicia Morgans: So one of the things that I think is so wonderful about this Congress is exactly what both of you have mentioned. There is a wealth of data, but when it comes to an individual patient, we don't always have all of the nuances that we need to really make an evidence-based decision. And of course, our MDTs help us answer those questions, but if we really want to know what a consensus group of experts around the world, practicing with their best knowledge and their best abilities, what they think, that's the data that we get from APCCC.
And this data, I think, is just so valuable for exactly that reason. And obviously, we've talked about certain instances that you're looking forward to. Other things that I've found so exciting and helpful over time have been the debate between triplets and doublets. Thinking about PSMA PETs, and how we get them into practice. Especially as they're rolled out in some parts of the world, but really limited in their abilities to be integrated in other parts of the world.
You have also focused on international prostate cancer care and delivery of care in places where there are fewer or greater resources, so that we can think about where we might be able to use best practices, and support advances in areas where there have been maybe some areas that are somewhat behind. So really, this is an international groundbreaking congress that brings all of this together, and helps all of us, actually, make better decisions, I think, in our MDTs and in our patient care every day.
So we'd love to hear from both of you, just your final words as we encourage everyone to register now, definitely with the early bird special, and get to APCCC. Silke, what do you want to say?
Silke Gillessen: Just again, thanks, Alicia, because you are as enthusiastic about APCCC as we are. And I wanted also to add that we have free registration for interested people from low and low middle income countries for the virtual meeting. So it's a hybrid meeting, and I think that's important, because we really want that this knowledge is spread all over the world, and not only to the people who can afford to come physically to APCCC. But I will still say that it is really nice to be there in person, and have the networking, and ask you questions directly to the experts.
Alicia Morgans: Aurelius?
Aurelius Omlin: I'm totally biased, but I think it's a great conference if you're a young person or in training. If you're looking for a fellowship, it's really a great opportunity to meet people. If you're already an expert, then it's a great opportunity to meet up with your friends in beautiful Lugano, in Switzerland. So really, there's no reason not to join, and not to come to Switzerland if you're able to do so at the end of April.
Alicia Morgans: Well, thank you both so much. I really have to say, this is the most lovely meeting and the most lovely location. And there is no meeting that is more thoughtfully designed, and more care given to really making sure that everyone who attends has a wonderful time. Whether it is in person or whether it is virtual. So I thank you both. Look forward to APCCC, and I will see everyone at APCCC 2024.
Silke Gillessen: Yes. Thank you.
Alicia Morgans: Hello. I am so excited to be here with Professor Silke Gillessen and also Professor Aurelius Omlin, where we are talking about APCCC 2024, our excitement about this Congress coming up, and thinking through how we can get there, and what we're going to hear about when we're there. Thank you so much both of you for being here. And Silke, will you start us off? How do people get to APCCC 2024?
Silke Gillessen: Yes. Thanks, Alicia, again, for inviting us. And yeah, I want to make save the date, so it's really important. The Congress starts on the 25th of April this year. And it's, as always, a Thursday, and a Friday, and the half of the Saturday. And there is also for everyone who's interested in translational research on the 24th, there's a day full of translational research for people who have also interest in that.
And for register for both things, the classical APCCC and the translational day, you just have to go on the website that is, I think in my background, www.apccc.org, and you can register. And everyone can register, because we sometimes hear that people think only panelists can be at the conference, but in reality, it's really open for everyone who has interest in the management of prostate cancer.
Alicia Morgans: Fantastic. And I think-
Silke Gillessen: Oh, and I forgot something. Yes. Because there's the deadline of the 22nd of February for the early bird rates. So everyone who wants to register, and I hope there's a lot of you out there, please register before that date.
And maybe I ask my friend, Aurelius Omlin, what is his favorite topic for this year?
Aurelius Omlin: Thank you, Silke, and thank you, Alicia, for this opportunity. I just finished a very long MDT that we discussed so many cases, and I realized when I look at the program of APCCC, it's so relevant to what you see in your daily practice and at your MDT. And when you have to discuss, especially for example, locally advanced prostate cancer, how do we best treat these patients, or patients that are locally advanced and have a PSMA PET imaging, and one bone lesion that is always discussed. Is it a met or not? And even if it is or if it's not, then we have a long discussion on how to best treat our patients.
Often, there's not only one right or wrong, but I think at APCCC, there's a unique opportunity to hear world experts talk about these topics. You can meet them in the breaks and you can approach these people, and there will be a lot of questions that we are busy preparing now, where we are going to show what the experts wrote on these areas where maybe the evidence is not as clear as we often wish it would be.
Silke Gillessen: And we show that it is interesting, because we had our own MDT as well, and also a long one tonight, and I thought exactly the same thing. Because we had a case of a really young patient with PN plus disease with four lymph nodes, and also there, as we know, there's no good data. I mean, there is these old missing data that really have done, this trial is so small, and it was done such a long time ago. And I think it's really important for us to realize, what are experts doing who's seen that a lot, have a lot of experience. And I mean, we have all these questions prepared, and more than 120 panelists who will vote on them. And I think, I hope really, it's going to be afterwards, and very helpful for clinical practice.
Alicia Morgans: So one of the things that I think is so wonderful about this Congress is exactly what both of you have mentioned. There is a wealth of data, but when it comes to an individual patient, we don't always have all of the nuances that we need to really make an evidence-based decision. And of course, our MDTs help us answer those questions, but if we really want to know what a consensus group of experts around the world, practicing with their best knowledge and their best abilities, what they think, that's the data that we get from APCCC.
And this data, I think, is just so valuable for exactly that reason. And obviously, we've talked about certain instances that you're looking forward to. Other things that I've found so exciting and helpful over time have been the debate between triplets and doublets. Thinking about PSMA PETs, and how we get them into practice. Especially as they're rolled out in some parts of the world, but really limited in their abilities to be integrated in other parts of the world.
You have also focused on international prostate cancer care and delivery of care in places where there are fewer or greater resources, so that we can think about where we might be able to use best practices, and support advances in areas where there have been maybe some areas that are somewhat behind. So really, this is an international groundbreaking congress that brings all of this together, and helps all of us, actually, make better decisions, I think, in our MDTs and in our patient care every day.
So we'd love to hear from both of you, just your final words as we encourage everyone to register now, definitely with the early bird special, and get to APCCC. Silke, what do you want to say?
Silke Gillessen: Just again, thanks, Alicia, because you are as enthusiastic about APCCC as we are. And I wanted also to add that we have free registration for interested people from low and low middle income countries for the virtual meeting. So it's a hybrid meeting, and I think that's important, because we really want that this knowledge is spread all over the world, and not only to the people who can afford to come physically to APCCC. But I will still say that it is really nice to be there in person, and have the networking, and ask you questions directly to the experts.
Alicia Morgans: Aurelius?
Aurelius Omlin: I'm totally biased, but I think it's a great conference if you're a young person or in training. If you're looking for a fellowship, it's really a great opportunity to meet people. If you're already an expert, then it's a great opportunity to meet up with your friends in beautiful Lugano, in Switzerland. So really, there's no reason not to join, and not to come to Switzerland if you're able to do so at the end of April.
Alicia Morgans: Well, thank you both so much. I really have to say, this is the most lovely meeting and the most lovely location. And there is no meeting that is more thoughtfully designed, and more care given to really making sure that everyone who attends has a wonderful time. Whether it is in person or whether it is virtual. So I thank you both. Look forward to APCCC, and I will see everyone at APCCC 2024.
Silke Gillessen: Yes. Thank you.