End-stage prostate cancer, even with multiple metastases, can also be treated very successfully with a chance of cure. This has been made possible by the introduction of radiotherapy into clinical practice. Doctors inject a radioactive substance into the patient’s body, which accumulates in the cancer cells and destroys them. In most patients, the tumors shrink significantly after several procedures, and in some patients, they even disappear completely. You can undergo Lutetium-177 PSMA therapy in Germany. You are welcome to use the Booking Health service. On our website, you can find out prices and select a clinic and a medical care program for your preferred dates.
The principle of cancer treatment using Lutetium-177
The essence of the treatment method is to destroy all malignant foci with radiation or significantly shrink them. New methods for treating cancer with Lutetium involve the use of a radiopharmaceutical agent consisting of the following two components: a ligand and a radionuclide.
Lutetium-177 is used as a radionuclide. It is this radionuclide that has to destroy the tumor by means of beta radiation. Radiation does not spread over a long distance, so tissues are damaged only in the area of accumulation of radioactive agents.
The role of the “courier” in the composition of the drug is performed by ligands. These molecules deliver radioactive Lutetium directly to the cancer cells. The secret of therapy selectivity is that prostate cancer cells have a protein that is almost absent in other tissues, and ligands bind to it. This substance is called prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA). Accordingly, this prostate cancer treatment option is called PSMA therapy.
As a result, after injection into a vein, the radiopharmaceutical accumulates only in tissues with increased PSMA expression. It penetrates tumors, but healthy organs and tissues are almost unaffected. Only a small amount of PSMA is found in the kidneys and salivary glands, so the main side effect of treatment is dry mouth. Doctors take steps to reduce the risk of complications, such as giving crystalloid solutions intravenously before PSMA treatment and cooling the salivary glands to reduce blood flow and reduce radionuclide accumulation.
How is the treatment carried out?
Before treating metastatic cancer with Lutetium, patients are examined. PSA levels are determined in the blood, general clinical tests are performed to detect possible contraindications (primarily to assess kidney function), and PSMA-PET scans are also made to detect tumor foci and also to check whether the tumor can accumulate a radiopharmaceutical agent.
The treatment itself consists of a single intravenous injection. Following it, a person must spend four days in the hospital as a radioactive substance is released from his body.
The course of Lutetium-177 treatment is repeated after 4-8 weeks. It can be continued as long as the effect persists and there are no toxic reactions. Severe side effects from PSMA therapy are rare, and the treatment is generally better tolerated than chemotherapy.
Results of radioligand therapy
Following Lutetium treatment, most patients achieve a partial response (tumor shrinkage by more than a third) after the very first injection of the radiopharmaceutical agent. After several injections, some patients will receive a complete response, which means that no tumor will be detected using imaging diagnostics anymore.
This does not mean that cancer is completely cured because there may be a recurrence in the future. However, to date, many cases have already been described where cancer did not return for many years after PSMA therapy and did not return by the end of the period of monitoring the patients in clinical trials. It is therefore possible that PSMA therapy can cure some cases of prostate cancer, even in the advanced stage.
You are welcome to use the Booking Health service if you want to undergo your treatment abroad. Even advanced stages of prostate cancer are treatable if you go to a good hospital. On the Booking Health website, you can choose a Lutetium-177 treatment center, find out about the Lutetium therapy costs and make your treatment appointment at a favorable price. The medical tourism agency Booking Health will take care of all your travel arrangements and support you during your stay abroad.