ATLANTA, Ga. (Ivanhoe Newswire) – Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in men, with over 288,000 new cases diagnosed each year. It’s also one of the most curable cancers if detected early. Now, a new imaging tool is transforming the way doctors detect and manage prostate cancer.
David M. Schuster, MD, professor, nuclear radiologist & researcher at the Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University, says if a man lives long enough, he will probably live with prostate cancer.
“The big question is, ‘Which are the types that can be ignored, and which are the types that need action?’,” Dr. Schuster says.
A key to survival is finding it early. Now, POSLUMA is the first FDA-approved radio-hybrid drug for PET imaging of prostate cancers.
Dr. Schuster explains, “Where a small amount of a radio tracer is injected into the body, and it goes to specific areas.”
The tracer is combined with a prostate-specific membrane antigen that homes in on prostate cancer cells. This unique combination delivers a high-resolution image that illuminates cancer cells — even the smallest and most elusive ones can usually be detected. In a clinical trial with over 700 patients, POSLUMA PET imaging found, on average, 83 percent of recurrent prostate cancers, even at low PSA levels. By finding the lesions early, POSLUMA can help with early interventions and personalized treatment plans.
“It’s great to have as many tools as possible. You may say, ‘Having more arrows in our quiver will help us defeat the enemy of cancer’,” Dr. Schuster adds.
Not only can this new imaging detect cancer cells, it can also help to monitor the progression of the cancer and assess treatment responses.
Contributors to this news report include: Marsha Lewis, Producer; Matt Goldschmidt, Videographer; Roque Correa, Editor.
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Source:
MEDICAL BREAKTHROUGHS
RESEARCH SUMMARY
TOPIC: LIGHTING UP PROSTATE CANCER
REPORT: MB #5318
BACKGROUND: Prostate cancer is a type of cancer that develops in the prostate, a small walnut-shaped gland that produces seminal fluid in men. It is one of the most common types of cancer in men, especially in older individuals. Prostate cancer typically progresses slowly and may not cause noticeable symptoms in its early stages. However, it can become more aggressive and potentially spread to other parts of the body if left untreated. About one in eight men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime. There is a five-year relative survival rate of 97 percent and a 10-year relative survival rate of 98 percent.
(Source: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/prostate-cancer/symptoms-causes/syc-20353087
https://www.cancer.org/cancer/types/prostate-cancer/about/key-statistics.html
https://www.cancer.net/cancer-types/prostate-cancer/statistics
DIAGNOSING: Diagnosing prostate cancer involves a combination of screening tests and clinical. It’s essential to detect prostate cancer early when it is most treatable. In its early stages, it may hold no symptoms but when it is more advanced it may show symptoms such as trouble urinating, decreased force in the stream of urine, blood urinating, bloody semen, bone pain, weight loss, and erectile dysfunction.
(Sources: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/prostate-cancer/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20353093
NEW TECHNOLOGY: Researchers from Weill Cornell Medicine have led a phase one trial of a new drug that can offer potent radiation therapy immediately and to specific cancer cells in patients suffering from advanced prostate cancer. Their clinical trial showed the treatment, “radiopharmaceutical” was tolerated well in patients and showed promise in administering antitumor activity. Their studies were published in the journal of Clinical Oncology.
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Andrea Clement
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