Dr. Alexandra Sokolova: Informative Research Updates & Insight July 27, 2023 Research is a fundamental influence in advancing the narrative to ZERO Out Prostate Cancer. ZERO recently welcomed Dr. Alexandra Sokolova to present a webinar from the American Society of Clinical Oncology Genitourinary Cancers Symposium (ASCO GU) Annual Meeting, which provided updates on prostate cancer research, treatment findings, and emerging early cancer detection technology. Dr. Sokolova is a skilled researcher who currently serves as an Assistant Professor of Medicine and the Deputy Director at Oregon Health & Science University (OSHU) Knight Cancer Institute.Impactful and Meaningful Work in a Patient-Friendly WayIn an effort to spread awareness and promote earlier detection, it’s important to understand Prostate Cancer through various lenses. Research is one of the critical components, and Jeremy Patch, ZERO’s Director of Patient, Programs & Education did a great job moderating and introducing one of Research’s biggest advocates, Dr. Alexandria Sokolova, whose patient-friendly style throughout the course of the webinar made for consistent audience engagement. She began her updates and the evaluation of studies results, making use of statistics. Sokolova explained that there are two goals in research—to prolong life and improve the quality of one’s life. According to her, a part of the discussions for metastatic treatment of cancer involves inquiry, and responses to said inquiry are generally represented via statistical graphs. These graphs were easy to understand and Dr. Sokolova’s explanations were well received. The Kind of Clarity That Doctors, Men and Caregivers Need to Make Informed DecisionsProstate cancer’s background was addressed in great detail, and viewers were impressed with how well the stages of this disease were explained. From localized or self-contained to metastatic forms of the disease, Dr. Sokolova kept with her promise, explaining each stage as though she were speaking with a family member or a neighbor. Every study discussed, combined with the speaker’s ability to engage viewers, helped to equip attendees with characteristics to consider when making use of combination therapies such as the disease stage, time period of disease progression, and a patient’s fitness for these presented combinations of treatments. When a Wealth of Information is Engaging, It Brings About QuestioningPerceptive questions and commentary took place closer to the end of the webinar, with questions asked from audience members, such as, “What mutations, besides BRCA1 and BRCA2 are on the list for further investigation for Prostate Cancer?”, or, “What milestone must be met to get the latest…in LU177 treatment?”. For more context, BRCA1 and BRCA2 are tumor suppressor genes, meaning when they function normally their job is to keep tumors from forming; however, men who have a BRCA mutation have an increased risk of cancer of the breast, prostate, and pancreas. LU177 treatment is only used on men who suffer from cancer that began in the prostate and who have tried all other treatments. Dr. Alexandra Sokolova made sure to respond in detail to each question asked. She shared that the FDA had approved Pluvicto, a treatment for men with the most advanced stage of disease, which was approved just over a month before this Webinar and should soonbe available for patients across the country. Through partnership and collaboration amongst researchers, clinicians and other positive contributors, this research is going to transform and change lives, which has always been ZERO’s aim.Check out the full webinar on our Facebook here.To find out more about how to participate in research initiatives, visit our page on participation.To learn more about the American Society of Clinical Oncology, visit their website at asco.org.Written by Mical J Roy. Mical is a Community Engagement Manager for a Health Marketing Agency, managing Prostate Cancer educational initiatives, nationally. Prior to this role, he worked for over 10 years in education as a teacher and then as a program administrator. In addition, he is an Advanced Reading and Writing Instructor at Austin Community College while also managing his own Academic Writing Assistance business.In June of 2019, Mical underwent a radical prostatectomy after his diagnosis of prostate cancer in November of 2018. This experience has humbled Mical in innumerable ways and motivated him to step out of his comfort zone to pursue avenues he knows will benefit and motivate others.Mical’s urologist, Dr. Eric Geisler, has connected him with newly diagnosed patients who seek support from a man who has recently been on the journey. Mical’s able to assist men that are finding their diagnosis hard to accept by listening to their questions or feelings associated with fear. As life would have it, it turns out that this unique style of advocacy seems to have been his life’s work all along.This experience solidified for Mical that there is nothing we cannot conquer in this life. As a result of such a life altering diagnosis, Mical is confident that if we hold to our faith and remain positive, we can overcome our negative self-talk, overthinking and added anxieties … and that we can and WILL move mountains out of our way. Blog Posts Contributor Jeremy Reynolds , Senior Software Engineer Digital wizard. Code-whisperer. Geek, gamer, and dedicated to leverage ZERO's tech to make a difference. Learn more about Jeremy
Research is a fundamental influence in advancing the narrative to ZERO Out Prostate Cancer. ZERO recently welcomed Dr. Alexandra Sokolova to present a webinar from the American Society of Clinical Oncology Genitourinary Cancers Symposium (ASCO GU) Annual Meeting, which provided updates on prostate cancer research, treatment findings, and emerging early cancer detection technology. Dr. Sokolova is a skilled researcher who currently serves as an Assistant Professor of Medicine and the Deputy Director at Oregon Health & Science University (OSHU) Knight Cancer Institute.Impactful and Meaningful Work in a Patient-Friendly WayIn an effort to spread awareness and promote earlier detection, it’s important to understand Prostate Cancer through various lenses. Research is one of the critical components, and Jeremy Patch, ZERO’s Director of Patient, Programs & Education did a great job moderating and introducing one of Research’s biggest advocates, Dr. Alexandria Sokolova, whose patient-friendly style throughout the course of the webinar made for consistent audience engagement. She began her updates and the evaluation of studies results, making use of statistics. Sokolova explained that there are two goals in research—to prolong life and improve the quality of one’s life. According to her, a part of the discussions for metastatic treatment of cancer involves inquiry, and responses to said inquiry are generally represented via statistical graphs. These graphs were easy to understand and Dr. Sokolova’s explanations were well received. The Kind of Clarity That Doctors, Men and Caregivers Need to Make Informed DecisionsProstate cancer’s background was addressed in great detail, and viewers were impressed with how well the stages of this disease were explained. From localized or self-contained to metastatic forms of the disease, Dr. Sokolova kept with her promise, explaining each stage as though she were speaking with a family member or a neighbor. Every study discussed, combined with the speaker’s ability to engage viewers, helped to equip attendees with characteristics to consider when making use of combination therapies such as the disease stage, time period of disease progression, and a patient’s fitness for these presented combinations of treatments. When a Wealth of Information is Engaging, It Brings About QuestioningPerceptive questions and commentary took place closer to the end of the webinar, with questions asked from audience members, such as, “What mutations, besides BRCA1 and BRCA2 are on the list for further investigation for Prostate Cancer?”, or, “What milestone must be met to get the latest…in LU177 treatment?”. For more context, BRCA1 and BRCA2 are tumor suppressor genes, meaning when they function normally their job is to keep tumors from forming; however, men who have a BRCA mutation have an increased risk of cancer of the breast, prostate, and pancreas. LU177 treatment is only used on men who suffer from cancer that began in the prostate and who have tried all other treatments. Dr. Alexandra Sokolova made sure to respond in detail to each question asked. She shared that the FDA had approved Pluvicto, a treatment for men with the most advanced stage of disease, which was approved just over a month before this Webinar and should soonbe available for patients across the country. Through partnership and collaboration amongst researchers, clinicians and other positive contributors, this research is going to transform and change lives, which has always been ZERO’s aim.Check out the full webinar on our Facebook here.To find out more about how to participate in research initiatives, visit our page on participation.To learn more about the American Society of Clinical Oncology, visit their website at asco.org.Written by Mical J Roy. Mical is a Community Engagement Manager for a Health Marketing Agency, managing Prostate Cancer educational initiatives, nationally. Prior to this role, he worked for over 10 years in education as a teacher and then as a program administrator. In addition, he is an Advanced Reading and Writing Instructor at Austin Community College while also managing his own Academic Writing Assistance business.In June of 2019, Mical underwent a radical prostatectomy after his diagnosis of prostate cancer in November of 2018. This experience has humbled Mical in innumerable ways and motivated him to step out of his comfort zone to pursue avenues he knows will benefit and motivate others.Mical’s urologist, Dr. Eric Geisler, has connected him with newly diagnosed patients who seek support from a man who has recently been on the journey. Mical’s able to assist men that are finding their diagnosis hard to accept by listening to their questions or feelings associated with fear. As life would have it, it turns out that this unique style of advocacy seems to have been his life’s work all along.This experience solidified for Mical that there is nothing we cannot conquer in this life. As a result of such a life altering diagnosis, Mical is confident that if we hold to our faith and remain positive, we can overcome our negative self-talk, overthinking and added anxieties … and that we can and WILL move mountains out of our way.
