Tumor cell heterogeneity and resistance; report from the 2018 Coffey-Holden Prostate Cancer Academy Meeting.

Overview

INTRODUCTION: The 2018 Coffey-Holden Prostate Cancer Academy (CHPCA) Meeting, "Tumor Cell Heterogeneity and Resistance," was held in Los Angeles, California from June 21 to 24, 2018. METHODS: The CHPCA Meeting is a unique, discussion-oriented scientific conference convened annually by the Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF), which focuses on the most critical topics in need of further study to advance the treatment of lethal prostate cancer. The 6th Annual CHPCA Meeting was attended by 70 investigators and concentrated on prostate cancer heterogeneity and treatment resistance. RESULTS: The meeting focused on topics including: recognition of tumor heterogeneity, molecular drivers of heterogeneity, the role of the tumor microenvironment, the role of heterogeneity in disease progression, metastasis and treatment resistance, clinical trials designed to target resistance and tumor heterogeneity, and immunotherapeutic approaches to target and overcome tumor heterogeneity. DISCUSSION: This review article summarizes the presentations and discussions from the 2018 CHPCA Meeting in order to share this knowledge with the scientific community and encourage new studies that will lead to improved treatments and outcomes for men with prostate cancer.