About Dr. Sartor
Dr. Sartor and His Collaborative Approach to Prostate Cancer Research…
Dr. Sartor is a world-renowned prostate cancer expert and one of the few medical oncologists in the world to focus on prostate cancer. He is currently the Director of Radiopharmaceutical Trials at the Mayo Clinic and practices in Rochester, MN as of April 2023.
Dr. Sartor work combines basic, translational, and clinical prostate cancer research and emphasizes state-of-the-art treatment for prostate cancer patients. Innovative patient care for those with prostate cancer has always been a priority throughout his career.
Dr. Sartor has a strong focus on multi-disciplinary efforts that emphasize novel approaches toward cancer treatment. He has personally helped to obtain multiple drug approvals in advanced prostate cancer including Quadramet, Jevtana, Xofigo, and Pluvicto by helping to lead, or co-lead, pivotal trials leading to FDA approval. Over the past 33 years, he has collaborated with fellow clinical oncologists and basic science researchers across the globe and has given hundreds of invited lectures and presentations on advanced prostate cancer at meetings in 33 countries. He has published approximately 500 peer-reviewed medical journals (to review some of his publications, please click here) and serves on a variety of advisory committees for both major and startup pharmaceutical firms that focus on advanced prostate cancer.
Dr. Sartor’s Research Focus…
Dr. Sartor is involved in a wide variety of clinical trials covering both translational issues and advanced treatments for prostate cancer. In some, he has served in national leadership positions – as either Principal Investigator, co-Principal Investigator, or chair of the Data Monitoring Committee.
The VISION trial, an international randomized phase III clinical trial for selected patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC), is one of these. He was co-principal investigator on the trial sponsored by Novartis, along with Bernd Krause, MD, of Germany’s Rostock University Medical Center, and was the lead author on the New England Journal of Medicine publication that reported on the trial, published June 23, 2021. This was covered in The NY Times, given the significance of the findings.
The trial demonstrated that 177Lu-PSMA-617 (now known as Pluvicto) — an engineered radioactive molecule that binds to the cell surface of prostate cancer cells — extends survival in mCRPC patients. The VISION trial is the first trial in prostate cancer using this approach to demonstrate improvements in survival, which is widely regarded as the most important demonstration of efficacy in patients being treated for cancer. This practice-changing trial was important because it demonstrated an improvement in overall survival for patients who have very few alternative treatment options. Pluvicto was FDA approved in very advanced patients in 2022.
“The therapy is well tolerated with a low incidence of significant side effects, and we’ve had some dramatic responses,” said Sartor. Next steps following this proof of principle trial, are to test the agent in less heavily pre-treated patients, including those diagnosed with metastatic prostate cancer and no prior hormonal treatments. These trials will sequentially report in the years ahead.
“This is an important new therapy that uses molecularly targeted radiation. I envision that it will be used earlier in the stages of disease and that this therapy will benefit thousands of patients per year over the upcoming decade,” Sartor said.
Thank You…
“Please accept my deepest appreciation for your support of the Baton Rouge Blue Ribbon Soiree. The funds raised through this event are vitally important to my team’s progress as we continue to explore a deeper understanding of prostate cancer. Through research, our collective understanding of this disease is better defined, and that means progress can follow for patients through the development of novel therapies. There is still much more to learn before we can rid families of the burden of prostate cancer. Our research will continue, and our hope is that patients will have better care. Without your support we could not accomplish nearly as much. Thank you again for your generosity.”
-Oliver Sartor, MD