Pluvicto Therapy
Prostate cancer is a common and serious disease that affects millions of men worldwide. While there are many treatment options available, one of the newest and most promising is Pluvicto (Lu-177 PSMA) therapy. In this article, we'll explore what Pluvicto is, how it works, and why it may be a good option for men with advanced metastatic prostate cancer.
What is Pluvicto (Lu-177 PSMA) Therapy ?
Pluvicto is a new theranostic medicine for advanced metastatic prostate cancer¹. It’s a type of radiation treatment that specifically targets a molecule on the surface of prostate cancer cells called PSMA¹. This therapy is used in companion with diagnostic gallium-68 labelled PSMA PET-CT , which is more commonly known as a PSMA PET scan¹. That latter uses imaging to identify cancer that make this PSMA molecule¹.
How Does Pluvicto(Lu-177 PSMA) Work?
The idea behind theranostics is to harness the power of radioactivity, which can damage and kill cancer cells without indiscriminately attacking healthy cells in the body¹. Prostate cancer cells make something on their surface called PSMA – prostate specific membrane antigen¹. That PSMA is what the radioactive molecules lutetium-177 PSMA and gallium-68 PSMA attach to¹.
In the case of gallium-68 PSMA, this radiotracer contains a low amount of radiation that lights up the cancer cells on a positron emission tomography (PET) scan so that we can see where the cancer has spread and whether it binds to the radiotracer or not. If the cancer cells do light up, that tell us they will also bind to lutetium-177 PSMA molecule, which contains a similar PSMA tracer but a stronger type of radiation¹. During treatment, the PSMA grabs on to the lutetium-177 PSMA; the radiation it carries is absorbed into the cancer cell, damaging its DNA and ultimately causing cell death of cancer cells.
Why Should You Consider Pluvicto (Lu-177 PSMA) therapy ?
Pluvicto has been shown to significantly improve prostate cancer survival rates and quality of life, as well as extend the time it takes for the disease to progress¹. It was approved by the FDA in March 2022 for the treatment of adult patients with prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA)-positive metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) who have been treated with androgen receptor (AR) pathway inhibition and taxane-based chemotherapy².
This therapy extends the quantity and quality of life for patients who otherwise would have limited treatment options. More often than not, patients who are eligible for this therapy are already experiencing symptoms related to their cancer that are impairing their quality of life¹.
Conclusion
Pluvicto (Lu-177 PSMA) therapy is a promising new treatment option for men with advanced metastatic prostate cancer. It offers significant benefits in terms of survival rates, quality of life, and disease progression. If you or someone you know has been diagnosed with prostate cancer, it may be worth discussing Pluvicto with your doctor to see if it could be a good option for you.
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Referrences:
(1) Lutetium-177 PSMA Therapy for Prostate Cancer (Pluvicto). https://www.uchicagomedicine.org/cancer/types-treatments/prostate-cancer/treatment/lutetium-177-psma-therapy-for-prostate-cancer.
(2) FDA approves Pluvicto for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. https://www.fda.gov/drugs/resources-information-approved-drugs/fda-approves-pluvicto-metastatic-castration-resistant-prostate-cancer.