Best Life: Lighting up prostate cancer

ATLANTA, Ga. (Ivanhoe Newswire) – Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in men, with over 288,000 new cases diagnosed each year.

It’s also one of the most curable cancers if detected early. Now, a new imaging tool is transforming the way doctors detect and manage prostate cancer.

David M. Schuster, MD, professor, nuclear radiologist & researcher at the Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University, says if a man lives long enough, he will probably live with prostate cancer.

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

A key to survival is finding it early. Now, POSLUMA is the first FDA-approved radio-hybrid drug for PET imaging of prostate cancers.

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

The tracer is combined with a prostate-specific membrane antigen that homes in on prostate cancer cells. This unique combination delivers a high-resolution image that illuminates cancer cells — even the smallest and most elusive ones can usually be detected.

In a clinical trial with over 700 patients, POSLUMA PET imaging found, on average, 83 percent of recurrent prostate cancers, even at low PSA levels.

By finding the lesions early, POSLUMA can help with early interventions and personalized treatment plans.

“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’,” said Dr. Schuster.

Not only can this new imaging detect cancer cells, but it can also help to monitor the progression of the cancer and assess treatment responses.

Contributors to this news report include: Marsha Lewis, Producer; Matt Goldschmidt, Videographer; Roque Correa, Editor.

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