2022 Bladder Cancer Think Tank

August 24, 2022

August 3-5, 2022, Denver, CO

The 17^th annual Bladder Cancer Think Tank (TT22) returned to in-person meeting in Denver Colorado on August 3-5, 2021. After two years of virtual meetings, BCAN brought together a multidisciplinary group of clinicians, basic and social scientists, patient/caregiver advocates, and industry partners to improve the understanding and treatment of bladder cancer. The TT22 meeting featured exciting collaborative discussions in two panel sessions, eleven unique breakout sessions, ten BCAN-sponsored researcher presentations, introduced a new class of eight John Quale Travel Fellows, and announced new BCAN-funded research initiatives.

A number of those sessions were videotaped and BCAN is pleased to provide access to those recordings to you. View the 2022 Think Tank Program Guide here.

Thursday, August 4, 2022

VIDEO: Watch the BCAN Young Investigator Presentations

Young Investigator Awardees

Burles A. (Rusty) Johnson, III, MD, PhD (2020), Johns Hopkins Greenberg Bladder Cancer Institute – Targeting regulatory B cells (Bregs) to improve anti-bladder cancer immunity
Yuki Kita, MD, PhD (2020) University of North Carolina Chapel Hill – Defining NRF2 induced tumor invasion in bladder cancer

Patient Centered Clinical Young Investigator Awardees

Matthew Mossanen, MD, MPH (2020), Brigham and Women’s Hospital – Identifying Patient and Providers Factors Associated with Smoking Cessation
Svetlana Avulova, MD (2021), Albany Medical Center – Sexual Function in Women Undergoing Radical Cystectomy

VIDEO: Watch the Next Generation of Trials in NMIBC- Follow Up from the FDA Workshop. Co-chairs Chana Weinstock, MD, from the US Food and Drug Administration and Seth P. Lerner, MD, FACS, from Baylor College of Medicine. This session reflected on takeaways and next steps from the November FDA workshop on clinical trial design in NMIBC. With discussion leaders: Noah M. Hahn MD, Greenberg Bladder Cancer Institute at Johns Hopkins University and Elaine Change, MD, US Food and Drug Administration

VIDEO: Watch the Exposures to Environmental Contaminants as Important Risk Factors for Bladder Cancer: Existing knowledge and future research needs. Co-chairs Joshua Meeks, MD, from Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, and Carsten Prasse, PhD, MS, from Johns Hopkins University. Humans are exposed to environmental contaminants but there is currently a lack of knowledge to what extent these exposures contribute to bladder cancer. What is known about the environmental toxicology of bladder cancer? May these carcinogens cause cancer at the molecular and cellular level? With discussion leaders: Stella Koutros, PhD, MPH, National Cancer Institute, Sunil Patel, MD, Brady Urologic Institute, Johns Hopkins Medicine and Molly Jacobs, MPH, Lowell Center for Sustainable Production.

VIDEO: Watch the Bladder Cancer Research Innovation Awardees’ Presentations

Philip Beachy, PhD (2019), Stanford University School of Medicine, presented by Kris B. Prado, MD – Transdifferentiation of fibroblasts to urothelial progenitors for definitive urothelial replacement therapy in non-muscle invasive bladder cancer.
Jeffrey Ravetch, MD, PhD (2020), Rockefeller University, presented by David Knorr, MD, PhD – Intravesical delivery of FC-enhanced CD40 against antibody for the treatment of bladder cancer.

Transforming the Future Presentations:

VIDEO: Watch “Early Screening” Co-chairs Yair Lotan, MD, from UT Southwestern and Philip Abbosh, MD, PhD, from Fox Chase Cancer Center. Screening for early cancers has the potential benefit of detecting disease when less invasive, resulting in less morbid treatments and improving survival. Renowned Mayo Clinic researcher, Minetta C. Liu, MD, highlighted her team’s first-of-its-kind blood test for breast cancer screening in asymptomatic patients. This panel explored the theory, utility, and practicality of screening asymptomatic but high-risk patients for bladder cancer using next-generation screening tools, including how screening trials might be designed.
VIDEO: Watch “Artificial Intelligence: The Future of Bladder Cancer Starts Now?” Co-chairs Randy Sweis, MD, from the University of Chicago, and Shilpa Gupta, MD, from the Cleveland Clinic. Artificial Intelligence (AI), including machine learning (ML) and deep learning (DL), are computational techniques designed to perform complex tasks and problem solve in a manner similar to the human mind. The use of AI is emerging as an important method to develop advanced diagnostics and therapeutics. In this provocative discussion, we explored innovative and actionable uses of ML or AI to reshape bladder cancer research and personalized clinical care. With panelists: Alexander T. Pearson, MD, PhD, University of Chicago, and Bishoy M. Faltas, MD, Weill Cornell

Friday, August 5, 2022

VIDEO: Watch the 2021 BCAN Young Investigator Awardee Presentations

Brendan Guercio, MD, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center – Associations of Patient Diet and Benefit from Immunotherapy in Urothelial Carcinoma
Eugene Pietzak, MD, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center –Defining the Clinical Impact and Molecular Drivers of “Secondary” Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer
Filipe De Carvalho, MD, PhD, Brigham and Women’s Hospital – Clonal Architecture and Tumor Microenvironment of Cisplatin Resistant Localized Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer
Benjamin Miron, MD, Fox – Relationship of Circulating Tumor DNA in Patients with Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer to Pathologic Staging and Disease Prognosis

VIDEO: Watch “Germline Genetics in Bladder Cancer.” Co-chairs Bishoy M. Faltas, MD, Weill-Cornell Medicine, and Guru Sonpavde, MD, Dana Farber Cancer Institute. Clinically significant germline variants exist in bladder cancer patients. Should there be universal germline genetic testing offered to all bladder/urothelial carcinoma patients? This session included a discussion of surveillance of patients with Lynch syndrome and helped determine the best biomarkers for trials testing germline-directed therapies in patients with urothelial carcinoma. With discussion leader: Marianne Dubard-Gault, MD, MS, Seattle Cancer Care Alliance.

VIDEO: Watch “Identifying and mobilizing stakeholders and allies for health equity in bladder cancer.” Chair Samuel L. Washington III, MD, MAS, University of California San Francisco. In this timely discussion, Dr. Washington defines equity across multiple ‘levels’ of healthcare (patient, facility, healthcare system) to understand what the actionable targets are for improving equity in bladder cancer care. As we identify key stakeholders and allies within each of these levels and their potential roles in efforts to improve health equity, the discussion helps BCAN leverage resources to promote health equity for our patients with bladder cancer.

VIDEO: Watch “Sexual Intelligence in Bladder Cancer.” Co-chairs Svetlana Avulova, MD, Albany Medical Center, and Daniela Wittmann, PhD, LMSW, University of Michigan School of Medicine. Expectations of the impact of bladder cancer treatment on sexual practices differ from the patient, partner, and clinician perspectives. What is sexually “normal” for patients diagnosed with bladder cancer? How can clinicians and patients work to optimize sexual outcomes throughout treatment and into survivorship? This discussion with leading sexual and urologic experts helped to identify opportunities for both research and education to support sexual health after bladder cancer. With discussion leaders: Carol P. Milam, MD, and Douglas Milam, MD, Vanderbilt University, and John P. Mulhall MD, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

VIDEO: Watch “Advances in Organ-Sparing Management for Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer.” Co-chairs Kent W. Mouw, MD, PhD, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Petros Grivas, MD, PhD, University of Washington, and John Sfakianos, MD, Mt. Sinai with BCAN patient advocate Robert Schreiber. Radical cystectomy has been the most widely used curative treatment for muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC). Selecting patients for organ-sparing treatment is currently based mainly on clinical factors; however, multiple ongoing studies are investigating molecular features that may help improve patient selection. This panel focused on recent advances in organ-sparing treatment approaches for MIBC, to highlight ongoing studies, identify critical unmet needs, and provide recommendations for future directions. With discussion leaders: Leslie Ballas, MD, Keck School of Medicine, Bernard H. Bochner, MD, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Institute, Benjamin Miron, MD, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Jason Efstathiou, MD, DPhil, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Elizabeth Plimack, MD, MS, Fox Chase Cancer Center.