Anyone on Pluvicto (Lu 177), a new drug for prostate cancer?

Posted by dedehans @dedehans, Aug 20, 2022

My close friend has had Pluvecto treatment suggested to him by oncologists. It is relatively new, having been approved by the FDA in March 2022. Have any of you been given this drug? I have read it is radioactive material and patient needs to stay away 6 ft from others for at least 3 days so as not to contaminate them. He has not yet decided whether to take the treatment or not as he is feeling awful enough as is.

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@cjbbjc2010

Can anyone give feedback on how Pluvicto treatment response is being determined? is it MRI, CT, a PSMA PET scan with F-18 or G-68 agent? If with PSMA PET, has insurance been covering it? Cost is a concern. thanks

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Had PSMA rejected by Aetna twice. After several appeals they approved it. The back story was $$$. The hospital where it was scheduled was going to charge approx. $18K. After I shopped around a private oncology center quoted me less than $6K. The approval was given after the hospital agreed to approx. this amount. My inquires indicate that Aetna was slow on approving other things. I moved to United.

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I had my 4th treatment and psa down to .27
Few side effects
My concern is what is next? Six treatments is the limit.

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@eercat81

I had my 4th treatment and psa down to .27
Few side effects
My concern is what is next? Six treatments is the limit.

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I'd like to hear what folks are being told from their doctors about what happens after the first six treatments of Pluvicto?

Can patients get another 6 ?

Gina, daughter of John

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@hpete710

My dad has had 1 treatment so far. He was in bad shape going into it- the cancer is all in his lymph nodes which are extremely swollen on his neck. He does have some Mets in his bones but those don’t seem to bother him too much. His biggest issue is hydration and nutrition. The last round of chemo he had destroyed his gut. He has lost 70+ lbs in 6 months and struggles everyday to keep down any food and drink. As far as the pluvicto side effects, the only new symptom that came on was diarrhea. It’s heartbreaking to watch. Has anyone experienced a significant improvement in quality of life from plucivto? He desperately wants to see his grandchildren graduate in June but watching him suffer so much is hard. He doesn’t want to
Give up and I’m praying for a miracle

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@hpete710 how is your dad doing now? I found this group looking for Pluvicto side effects as my dad just received his first treatment and has been fatigued and nauseous since. He seemed to be recovering three days after only to have a huge setback, have lots of diarrhea, supposedly a c. diff infection and now seem to be fighting for his life. Huge hugs to you and your family. It is so hard to watch a loved one suffer. 😥

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@eercat81

I had my 4th treatment and psa down to .27
Few side effects
My concern is what is next? Six treatments is the limit.

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@eercat81 @gaherrma, you may be interested in this related discussion:
- What is the recommended treatment after 6 Pluvicto doses?
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/what-is-the-recommended-treatment-after-6-pluvicto-doses/

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I’ve had 4 Pluvicto treatments so far (1 every 6 weeks). I have two more as that is protocol and all insurance will pay for. My psa is now under control. The treatment side effects are minimal. I do have to keep my distance after treatment but it’s worth it. So much better than chemo!

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I’m in the process of getting pluvicto I had trouble with the last chemo treatment so pluvicto is next,how much trouble have you had with blood work my platelets,hemoglobin,white and red cells are low im not sure they’ll give it to me if it’s that low before getting pluvicto I’m worried thanks

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@digger

I’m in the process of getting pluvicto I had trouble with the last chemo treatment so pluvicto is next,how much trouble have you had with blood work my platelets,hemoglobin,white and red cells are low im not sure they’ll give it to me if it’s that low before getting pluvicto I’m worried thanks

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Hey @digger, I moved your post about Pluvicto to this existing discussion in the Prostate Cancer support group
- Anyone on Pluvicto (Lu 177), a new drug for prostate cancer?
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/any-one-on-pluvecto-a-relatively-new-drug/
I did this so you can easily connect with other members on this treatment like @andrejacques @gaherrma @dlylecpa @robert570 @donalan @leebeth @bamaples @dwpoole @stonewalker and who may be able to answer your questions about blood work and getting treatment.

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I had the Pluvicto treatment at University Hospital in Cleveland, Ohio. I had 3 infusions. After the 3rd I had them stop it. My PSA started out at 1.56 and ended up at 20.83 after the 3rd. Pluvicto works for most men but it didn't for me. I had no side effects and felt pretty good, but the doubling of the PSA through me a curve ball. I would like to know if anyone else has had this problem. I'm back on Jevtana with Carboplatin chemo now and it's hitting me a little hard. My PSA leveled off, but it's slowly starting to rise again. I will be getting a PSA test on December 5th, fingers crossed. It now stands at 22 after falling back around 19. It's been 10 years battling this disease. My PSA has been as low as .18 to a high of 2.56 but Pluvicto broke the mold and sent it soaring. Good luck!

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@colleenyoung

Hey @digger, I moved your post about Pluvicto to this existing discussion in the Prostate Cancer support group
- Anyone on Pluvicto (Lu 177), a new drug for prostate cancer?
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/any-one-on-pluvecto-a-relatively-new-drug/
I did this so you can easily connect with other members on this treatment like @andrejacques @gaherrma @dlylecpa @robert570 @donalan @leebeth @bamaples @dwpoole @stonewalker and who may be able to answer your questions about blood work and getting treatment.

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Thanks Colleen you do a great job,Dave

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