Understanding Lutetium PSMA Radionuclide Therapy
According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer, over a million new cases of prostate cancer are diagnosed worldwide annually. At the early stages, this pathology is treated quite successfully with an excellent prognosis. Unfortunately, it is not always possible to detect it timely, and many people visit doctors only when the disease progresses.
Lutetium PSMA radionuclide therapy is an innovative technique for metastatic prostate cancer or advanced prostate cancer resistant to hormone therapy. Novel radionuclide therapy solves the problem of late prostate cancer detection.
What is PSMA radionuclide therapy
Radionuclide therapy involves the intravenous injection of substances containing therapeutic radionuclides. These drugs accumulate in the affected areas (primary tumors and metastases), irradiate and destroy them. The overall impact on the body is minimal, and healthy organs are unaffected.
Lutetium PSMA treatment is administering a radionuclide which connects to cancer cells due to its affinity to the tumor receptors (not due to physiological accumulation in the bone tissue like with other substances). This property of Lutetium-177 PSMA significantly changes both the efficacy of treatment and its tolerability compared to the existing therapeutic methods for patients with castration resistance (insensitivity to hormonal therapy).
Using PSMA PET/CT, an area with tumor marker over-expression is identified and targeted with Lutetium-177 without affecting the neighboring healthy tissues. In this way, it is possible to destroy tumor cells with a precisely targeted irradiation, prevent tumor spreads, and relieve the symptoms associated with metastases.
How effective is the Lutetium treatment?
Previously used radionuclide therapy with Radium, Samarium, or Strontium was also effective for long-term treatment of bone metastases of prostate malignancies. In this case, the superficial part of bone metastases was exposed to radiopharmaceuticals. In contrast to the listed radiopharmaceuticals, Lutetium-177 PSMA therapy is equally effective for treating bone and lung lesions, as well as lymph node metastases. The response rate to treatment is up to 60%, which is almost 5 times higher than with other radioactive substances.
The significant advantage of PSMA therapy with Lutetium-177 is that the healthy cells are not affected by radiation emitted from the isotope.
Clinical trials of the new method conducted by German scientists showed that the treatment was effective in more than 50% of cases. Overall, 45% of patients had a positive response, with 40% of patients responding to treatment after the first Lutetium therapy course.
How is the therapy carried out?
On the eve of treatment, a comprehensive examination is carried out. Sites with maximum PSMA expression (i.e. tumor and metastases) are detected with the help of a PSMA PET. Then the patient is hospitalized for several days. The first day the drug is injected intravenously. In the next two days, monitoring and re-examination to assess the effectiveness of the treatment are carried out. Then the patient must visit the clinic for blood tests. An effect is already noticeable a week after the first procedure. Treatment is repeated in 4-6 weeks. Also, 2-3 months after completing the entire course (up to 4 procedures), it is necessary to see doctors for a control examination.
More information about how Lutetium PSMA radionuclide therapy is carried out is available on the Booking Health website.
Is it possible to undergo radionuclide therapy abroad during a lockdown?
It may be challenging to travel abroad during a lockdown. It specifically refers to people who require urgent treatment of life-threatening health conditions, such as cancer. As some innovative cancer care techniques are available only in countries with developed medicine, the request for treatment abroad is usually approved. Most challenges are in the field of treatment organization with all of its nuances, and this is the most time-consuming part for people seeking treatment abroad.
Booking Health helps people to organize their treatments with no additional fee required. The company takes care of all the details of treatment arrangements, including paperwork, translation of medical reports, issuing a medical visa and negotiating with a chosen hospital.
Booking Health provides the necessary advice, guidance and assistance throughout the treatment journey. If you have any questions, please leave a request on the Booking Health website for a patient case manager to help you.
