Two treatment methods for advanced prostate cancer
A recent phase II trial compared two treatments for advanced prostate cancer. One treatment used lutetium-177 [177Lu] Lu-PSMA- 617, and the other used cabazitaxel. Both treatments were given to men whose cancer had spread after receiving docetaxel.
The study looked at how long the participants lived and updated the analysis of certain imaging tests. Some men were excluded from the study because their cancer did not show up well on these tests.
Researchers enrolled 291 men in the study, but only 200 met the criteria for treatment. These men were randomly assigned to receive either [177Lu] Lu-PSMA-617 or cabazitaxel. After about 36 months, they found that a similar number of men had died in both groups. The two treatments had no significant difference in how long men lived. The study also showed that men with certain characteristics, like low PSMA levels or specific results on imaging tests, tended to have shorter survival times.
In conclusion, the study suggests that [177Lu] Lu-PSMA-617 can be a good option for treating advanced prostate cancer, similar to cabazitaxel as fewer grade ≥ 3 adverse effects were observed with [177Lu] Lu-PSMA-617. However, certain characteristics of the cancer might affect how well these treatments work for individual patients.
The Lancet, Oncology. Jan. 2024. Volume 25 Issue 1, pp 99-107.