A new therapy designed to track and treat advanced prostate cancer is providing new hope for patients.
Long-term survival (5 to 10 years after diagnosis) from prostate cancer is very high when prostate cancer is diagnosed early and found in only the prostate and nearby parts of the body, but survival duration is significantly shorter after diagnosis of advanced prostate cancer. Northwest Cancer Centers is now offering a cutting-edge treatment combining the use of PET scans and a new therapy targeting prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA)-positive cancer cells in men with advanced prostate cancer.
“The treatment is designed to track and treat prostate cancer that has spread throughout the body and grown resistant to other treatment,” said Dr. Amer Sidani. “This therapy is a breakthrough that could prolong survival for men with advanced prostate cancer.”
New Imaging Exam Detects Spread of Prostate Cancer
Diagnosis is a crucial part of effective prostate cancer treatment. A new imaging technology recently approved by the US Food and Drug Administration enables physicians to pinpoint the precise location of prostate cancer cells that would otherwise be hidden.
The physicians at Northwest Cancer Centers can now use Pylarify®, a tracing agent that seeks out and attaches to PSMA, a protein on the surface of the cancer cells. When this tracer binds to the prostate cancer, the cells light up on a PET/CT scan.
“In the past, prostate cancer was difficult to detect once it spread,” said Dr. Amer Sidani. “With this new technology, we’re able to confidently pinpoint cancer cells for treatment.”
Precision Medicine Treatment Targets Cancer Cells Resistant to Other Therapies
After Northwest Cancer Centers physicians review the PET/CT scan results to accurately pinpoint the cancer, they will then administer a therapy that targets prostate cancer cells expressing PSMA.
Pluvicto™ (Lutetium Lu 177 vipivotide tetraxetan) is injected into the bloodstream to deliver radiation to cancer cells throughout the body—including bone and soft tissue. The treatment bypasses healthy cells to find and demolish cancer cells that are typically resistant to other treatments.
If you have been diagnosed with prostate cancer and would like to learn more, contact Northwest Cancer Centers at 219.924.8178 or book an appointment on our website.
