Prostate cancer patients benefit each year from new treatment options due to successful clinical trials. Those who participate in clinical trials have access to cutting edge treatment and quality patient care at low to no additional cost. To raise awareness among Black men about clinical trials benefits and opportunities, PHEN created its Clinical Trials Rally (CTR) in 2017. The CTR publishes monthly e-Newsletters, host live webinars, develops and promotes patient focused clinical trial summaries and host clinical trial learning sessions.

Keith Crawford, MD, PhD

PHEN Director of Clinical Trials and Patient Education

In 2022 PHEN’s CTR awareness efforts reached 1.2 million people and attracted approximately 50,000 people to its patient summaries for in-depth clinical trials information.  



During the year PHEN highlighted a variety of promising prostate clinical trials grouped according to these treatment categories

• Radioligand Therapies (RLT) target proteins on the surface of cancers and deliver radiation directly to cancer cells. This new targeted approach limits collateral damage to the surrounding tissues. PHEN highlighted PSMAfore, PSMAddition, and SPLASH as clinical trials that incorporate RLTs.

• PARP inhibitor therapy interferes with the ability of cancer cells to repair DNA damage. By preventing this repair process, PARP inhibitors can slow cancer cell growth or kill cancer cells. Talapro-3 and Amplitude PARP inhibitor clinical trials highlighted by PHEN.

• Patients’ Genetics background may impact therapeutic performance. Being keenly aware of this issue, PHEN launched a genetic testing awareness program, and highlighted certain prostate cancer clinical trials. One of these studies is the Promise Registry for prostate cancer patients and is free for those who participate.



• Immuno-oncology helps your body’s own immune system fight cancer. These therapies boost your immune cell response to the cancer by helping cancer killing immune cells concentrate at the site of the cancer. Examples of prostate cancer clinical trials highlighted by PHEN incorporating the immuno-oncology methods to treat are AMG 340, AMG 509, AMG 757 and P-PSMA-101.

PHEN urges patients to take an extra step in 2023 by considering clinical trials as part of your treatment options. Clinical trials are key to making important strides in prostate cancer care by helping doctors identify new ways to detect and treat the disease. When patients participate in clinical trial, it adds to the understanding of prostate cancer, improves the quality of life for the prostate cancer patient and is of benefit for those facing prostate cancer today and in the future. 

"The biggest barrier seems to be a lack of awareness" said Dr. Andrew Laccetti at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, "PHEN has developed webcasts called clinical trial learning sessions that explain how these trials work." Read More