Prostate cancer is well treated in the first three stages when there are no metastases. Once metastases appear, the cancer is considered incurable. However, the situation is far from hopeless: cancer can be controlled for a very long time with modern medicine.
In Germany, treatment is not limited to hormonal and chemotherapy. Lutetium-177 therapy is performed in the best hospitals in the country. It provides excellent results by destroying tumors with radiation and virtually no damage to normal tissue. If hormone therapy no longer works, you can undergo Lutetium-177 treatment in Germany to bring the disease back under control.
What is PSMA therapy
PSMA therapy is a targeted prostate cancer treatment. It involves the use of drugs that target PSMA (prostate-specific membrane antigen).
A radiopharmaceutical is injected into the patient’s body. It consists of two components: a ligand – a molecule that can selectively bind to PSMA, and a radionuclide – a source of ionizing radiation. The first component ensures that the radiopharmaceutical accumulates only in the tumor and not in healthy tissue. The second component, Lutetium-177, ensures the destruction of cancer cells in the accumulation zone.
The radiation from the radionuclide is very short. It does not travel a significant distance from the accumulation site, so the surrounding tissue is not affected.
Using Lutetium-177 in cancer treatment
Radiotargeted therapy is prescribed in these cases:
- Metastatic prostate cancer (stage 4)
- Castration-resistant cancer (hormone therapy is no longer effective)
- Chemotherapy is contraindicated or has become ineffective (tumors are growing and PSA level is increasing against the background of treatment)
Radiotargeted therapy is considered a third-line treatment. It is used in severe situations when the cancer progresses against the background of standard therapy. Despite these circumstances, the results of treatment with Lutetium-177 are good for most patients: the technique allows tumors to shrink and life expectancy to increase. In some cases, complete disappearance of all neoplasms is achieved with a remission lasting several years.
What happens during the treatment
After preparation, which includes examination and consultation with specialists, the radiopharmaceutical is administered intravenously. This is the end of the treatment. You do not need long intravenous infusions lasting several hours or even around the clock, as is the case with some other treatments. Lutetium-177 therapy is therefore not only effective, but also convenient and comfortable for the patient.
After administering the drug, it is necessary to spend three days in the hospital. During this time the radionuclide leaves the body and you can go home.
The treatment is repeated after 6-8 weeks. The principle of repeated treatment is exactly the same: the drug is administered intravenously.
After two cycles of treatment, you will have a follow-up visit. Doctors need to determine how effective PSMA therapy has been by measuring the size of the tumors. If tumor foci have shrunk by more than one-third, this is considered an objective response. If all the tumors have disappeared, this is a complete response to treatment: a certain number of patients achieve this result. Blood PSA levels are also measured to assess biochemical response, and general clinical tests are performed to evaluate kidney and liver function and to detect potential side effects of PSMA therapy.
Treatment safety
PSMA therapy is relatively safe and well tolerated compared to other cancer treatments. The most common side effect is dry mouth due to damage to the salivary glands. Blood cell counts are reduced in some patients. There is also a small risk of kidney damage.
During treatment, measures are taken to protect organs that contain PSMA and may accumulate the radionuclide in small amounts. Doctors cool the neck to reduce blood flow to the salivary glands and give intravenous saline drips to flush the radionuclide quickly from the kidneys.
Most patients do not experience serious toxic reactions during treatment, and even if there are side effects, the benefits of PSMA therapy outweigh the potential risks.
Where to receive treatment
If you are looking for a Lutetium therapy clinic, you should visit the Booking Health website. It is a convenient hospital booking service. Here you can:
- Find out prices
- Choose a clinic
- Book your treatment on convenient dates
- Get services for organizing travel abroad
- Reduce the cost of medical services
When you make an appointment for prostate cancer diagnostics and treatment through Booking Health, the PSMA therapy cost will be lower for you than if you go directly to the clinic, due to the exclusion of additional charges for foreign patients.
