Connect
← Return to Prostate cancer: Any further options?
Discussion
Prostate cancer: Any further options?
Prostate Cancer | Last Active: Feb 15, 2022 | Replies (16)Comment receiving replies
I am not a doctor or a scientist, just a retired historian, but the way I understand it, 177Lu-PSMA-617 is a new isotope which has been in clinical trials and is expected to be approved by the FDA in the first quarter of 2022. I understand the drug works by identifying prostate cancer cells in the body, attaches itself to the cell and releases radiation into the cell to kill it. It all sounds very promising to me. My oncologist is watching it closely as a possible treatment option for me. Perhaps someone from Mayo can describe it better than I
Replies to "I am not a doctor or a scientist, just a retired historian, but the way I..."
Connect
I think you described it very well, Norske.
Here's how Novartis explains it in their press release: https://www.novartis.com/news/media-releases/novartis-announces-positive-result-phase-iii-study-radioligand-therapy-177lu-psma-617-patients-advanced-prostate-cancer
"Lu-PSMA-617 is an investigational PSMA-targeted radioligand therapy for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. It is a type of precision cancer treatment combining a targeting compound (ligand) with a therapeutic radioisotope (a radioactive particle). After administration into the bloodstream, 177Lu-PSMA-617 binds to prostate cancer cells that express PSMA13, a transmembrane protein, with high tumor-to-normal tissue uptake. Once bound, emissions from the radioisotope damage tumor cells, disrupting their ability to replicate and/or triggering cell death. The radiation from the radioisotope works over very short distances to limit damage to surrounding cells."