The new procedure minimizes the surgical burden, risk of infection, and leaves no scars.Continue reading
The University of Szeged (SZTE) is the first in the country to perform radioisotope prostate-specific tumor therapy, which prolongs the survival of patients with advanced prostate cancer, said the Directorate for International and Public Relations of the higher education institution.
The treatment of prostate cancer has so far been mainly based on hormone therapy, various chemotherapeutic agents and irradiation, complemented by radioisotope therapy. László Pávics, head of the Institute of Nuclear Medicine at SZTE, said that the possibility of detecting biochemical abnormalities characteristic of prostate cancer with appropriate isotopic labeling has opened up new horizons in diagnostics and therapy.
By using a radioisotope bound to a suitable molecule that has a therapeutic – cell-destroying – effect, they can specifically treat metastases of prostate cancer in bone, lymph nodes, soft tissues, and other organs. The 177-lutetium PSMA (prostate-specific membrane antigen) therapy does not burden patients and has few side effects.
Studies evaluating the results of around 8,000 prostate cancer patients have shown that
more than 50% of patients responded well to the first treatment and 80% of patients had a significant improvement with multiple treatments, with a good quality of life.
University of Szeged; Photo: Wikipedia
The institute’s team started working on the use of a diagnostic tool based on PSMA in 2017. In 2019, the first radioisotope-guided, surgical probe-guided lymph nodectomy was performed in collaboration with the University Urology Clinic. Currently, patients from all over the country come to Szeged for the tests. As a result of about eight years of development work, the first therapeutic application of this procedure has become possible with the collaboration of the Oncotherapy Clinic.
Radioisotope prostate tumor therapy is administered by intravenous infusion and currently involves a two to three-day hospital stay.
In the future, it is planned that the procedure may be performed on an outpatient basis. Six cycles are used every six weeks, but the number of treatments can be increased as needed. So far, three patients are being treated with the new method at the Department of Nuclear Medicine at SZTE with the support of the National Health Insurance Fund of Hungary (NEAK). Two of the patients have already started their first treatment and are doing well.
Radioisotope therapy does not replace other treatments, but is an additional option that prolongs progression-free survival and improves quality of life, even for patients with advanced, extensive disease.
Via MTI; Featured picture: Pexels