New tool lights up prostate cancer

Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in men, with over 288,000 new cases diagnosed each year. It is also one of the most curable cancers if detected early. A new imaging tool is helping make that possible.

Emory University radiologist David Schuster says if a man lives long enough, he will likely have prostate cancer. “I believe 80% of 80-year-olds have prostate cancer of some form.”

The big question is, “Which are the types that can be ignored, and which are the types that need action?” Dr. Schuster said.

A key to survival is finding the cancer early. Now, doctors have a new tool. The first FDA-approved radio-hybrid drug for PET imaging of prostate cancers. It’s called Posluma.

Dr. Schuster described how it works.

“A small amount of a radiotracer is injected into the body, and it goes to specific areas,” he said.

The tracer is combined with a prostate-specific membrane antigen that homes in on the cancer cells.

This unique combination delivers high-resolution images that illuminate cancer cells. Even the smallest and most elusive ones can usually be detected.

In a clinical trial with more than 700 patients, Posluma PET imaging found, on average, 83% of recurrent prostate cancers, even at low PSA levels. Posluma can help with early interventions and personalized treatment plans by finding lesions early.

That’s a big win, in Dr. Schuster’s opinion. “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.’”

Not only can this new imaging detect cancer cells, but it can also help monitor the progression of existing cancer.