Since 2015, Dr. Toren has worked as a clinician-scientist in the Department of Surgery at Laval University, where his laboratory focuses on translational prostate cancer research. He completed his medical training at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, urology residency and a clinical uro-oncology fellowship at the University of Toronto. Subsequently, he completed a two-year research fellowship at the Vancouver Prostate Centre, under the mentorship of Dr. Martin Gleave. Concurrently, he enrolled in, and recently completed a doctorate in experimental medicine in Dr. Amina Zoubeidi’s laboratory.

The influence of sex steroids on the tumor environment

Androgens and estrogens are important to prostate cancer progression and treatment resistance. Through the analysis of various sex steroids such as testosterone and estrogens, we seek to better understand the hormonal changes which occur following treatment in prostate cancer patients. Further, we seek to understand how differences in these levels between patients may be used to classify them for optimal treatments and understand resistance patterns. We use laboratory models to understand the effect of sex steroids on the local immune environment and production of cytokines regulating the survival and growth of prostate cancer.

Extracellular vesicles as biomarkers

Extracellular vesicles, such as exosomes, are tiny parts of cells which may be detected in many biological fluids, including urine and blood. Using samples from prostate cancer patients, we seek to optimize isolation, enumeration, and characterization techniques. Versatile and containing a significant amount of information pertinent to cancer type and function, these tiny particles may eventually be used to monitor information about responsiveness to treatments through a simple blood test.

Hôpital de l'Enfant-Jésus
1401, 18e rue
G4.610
Québec, QC
Canada G1J 1Z4
+1 418-525-4444, extension 67694+1 418-691-3154
Paul.Toren@crchudequebec....

Latest news

76 entries « ‹ 1 of 8 › »

Suartz CV, Martinez LM, Cordeiro MD, Botelho LAA, Gallutti FP, Mota JM, Leite KRM, Toren P, Nahas WC, Ribeiro-Filho LA

Honing the Hunt: A Comprehensive Review of Cell-free Tumor DNA to Predict Neoadjuvant Therapy Efficacy in Bladder Cancer

Journal Article

Clin Genitourin Cancer, 22 (3), 2024.

Abstract | Links:

Suartz CV, Martinez LM, Cordeiro MD, Flores HA, Kodama S, Cardili L, Mota JM, Coelho FMA, de Bessa Junior J, Camargo CP, Teoh JY, Shariat SF, Toren P, Nahas WC, Filho LAR

Artificial intelligence for predicting response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy for bladder cancer: A comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis

Journal Article

Can Urol Assoc J, 2024.

Abstract | Links:

Toren P, Wilkins A, Patel K, Burley A, Gris T, Kockelbergh R, Lodhi T, Choudhury A, Bryan RT

The sex gap in bladder cancer survival - a missing link in bladder cancer care

Journal Article

Nat Rev Urol, 21 (3), 2024.

Abstract | Links:

Garneau CA, Marcotte N, Lacombe L, Fradet Y, Fradet V, Pouliot F, Toren P, Lodde M

Salvage therapy for BCG failure with intravesical sequential gemcitabine and docetaxel in patients with recurrent NMIBC

Journal Article

Can Urol Assoc J, 18 (2), 2024.

Abstract | Links:

Trépanier G, Nykopp T, Rosebush-Mercier R, Gris T, Fadel J, Black PC, Toren P

Circulating Basophils as a Prognostic Marker for Response to Bacillus Calmette-Guérin

Journal Article

Clin Genitourin Cancer, 22 (2), 2024.

Abstract | Links:

Robitaille K, Guertin MH, Jamshidi A, Xu HW, Hovington H, Pelletier JF, Beaudoin L, Gevariya N, Lacombe L, Tiguert R, Caumartin Y, Dujardin T, Toren P, Lodde M, Racine É, Trudel D, Perigny M, Duchesne T, Savard J, Julien P, Fradet Y, Fradet V

A phase IIb randomized placebo-controlled trial testing the effect of MAG-EPA long-chain omega-3 fatty acid dietary supplement on prostate cancer proliferation

Journal Article

Commun Med (Lond), 4 (1), 2024.

Abstract | Links:

Lafront C, Germain L, Campolina-Silva GH, Weidmann C, Berthiaume L, Hovington H, Brisson H, Jobin C, Frégeau-Proulx L, Cotau R, Gonthier K, Lacouture A, Caron P, Ménard C, Atallah C, Riopel J, Latulippe É, Bergeron A, Toren P, Guillemette C, Pelletier M, Fradet Y, Belleannée C, Pouliot F, Lacombe L, Lévesque É, Audet-Walsh É

The estrogen signaling pathway reprograms prostate cancer cell metabolism and supports proliferation and disease progression

Journal Article

J Clin Invest, 134 (11), 2024.

Abstract | Links:

Suartz CV, Cordeiro MD, Botelho LAA, Gallucci FP, Cho DH, de Arruda Pessoa F, da Silva FR, Costa MSS, Cardili L, Audenet F, Mota JM, Toren P, Nahas WC, Ribeiro-Filho LA

Predicting individual outcomes after radical cystectomy in urothelial variants with Cancer of the Bladder Risk Assessment (COBRA) score

Journal Article

World J Urol, 42 (1), 2024.

Abstract | Links:

Molina OE, LaRue H, Simonyan D, Hovington H, Têtu B, Fradet V, Lacombe L, Toren P, Bergeron A, Fradet Y

High infiltration of CD209+ dendritic cells and CD163+ macrophages in the peritumor area of prostate cancer is predictive of late adverse outcomes

Journal Article

Front Immunol, 14 , 2023.

Abstract | Links:

Moussa H, Robitaille K, Pelletier JF, Tourigny R, Fradet Y, Lacombe L, Toren P, Lodde M, Tiguert R, Dujardin T, Caumartin Y, Duchesne T, Julien P, Savard J, Diorio C, Fradet V

Effects of Concentrated Long-Chain Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Supplementation on Quality of Life after Radical Prostatectomy: A Phase II Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial (RCT-EPA)

Journal Article

Nutrients, 15 (6), 2023.

Abstract | Links:

76 entries « ‹ 1 of 8 › »
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Active projects

  • Étude des interactions endo-immunitaires pour améliorer le traitement des carcinomes urothéliaux, from 2024-07-01 to 2028-06-30
  • Repurposing bicalutamide to improve the response to immune checkpoint inhibition for treatment of advanced urothelial carcinoma, from 2022-08-01 to 2026-07-31
  • Targeting sex steroids to improve the response to bladder cancer immunotherapy, from 2021-10-01 to 2026-09-30

Recently finished projects

  • A study of macrophages as predictors of prostate cancer radiotherapy response , from 2022-01-26 to 2023-01-25
  • Exploiter les interactions endocriniennes-immunes pour améliorer le traitement des cancers urologiques, from 2022-07-01 to 2024-06-30
Data provided by the Université Laval research projects registery