Peter Mac researchers have shown LuPSMA therapy can be safely used as a first-line treatment for men with newly diagnosed prostate cancer, potentially revolutionising treatment for aggressive forms of this cancer.
The world-first research, recently published in the journal European Urology, studied the effects of men receiving the highly-targeted radioactive treatment known as LuPSMA before their cancerous prostate was surgically removed.
LuPSMA is an infusion containing radioactive Lutetium-177 which is attracted to PSMA (Prostate Specific Membrane Antigen) on prostate cancer cells wherever they are in the body, killing these cells.
Professor Michael Hofman, head of the Prostate Cancer Theranostics and Imaging Centre of Excellence (ProsTIC) at Peter Mac, said LuPSMA was generally used as a last-line treatment in cases where the cancer had spread beyond the prostate.
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Landmark trials have shown LuPSMA can improve quality of life and survival for these men with late-stage, aggressive prostate cancers.
“In the LuTectomy study, men with newly diagnosed, localised prostate cancer received upfront radiation treatment with LuPSMA before surgical removal of their prostate,” said Professor Hofman.
“Some types of radiotherapy can result in damage to surrounding tissue making surgery afterwards more complex, therefore treatments like LuPSMA are generally performed only after surgery has taken place.”
The study showed LuPSMA therapy did not increase the technical difficulty of later surgery or add to risk of post-operative complications, and was therefore safe to give to men ahead of prostate removal.
“While we know that early-stage localised prostate cancer can be cured with surgery or external-beam radiotherapy, around half of the men with high-risk cancer will develop disease recurrence and metastases,” Professor Hofman (Right in photo below) said.
“We hope that this new application of LuPSMA therapy, before surgery, will ultimately cure more patients.”
“Therapeutic radiation from LuPSMA therapy travels only 1mm resulting in highly targeted tumour killing, while sparing normal tissue,” Professor Murphy said.
“This study shows we can safely add LuPSMA therapy before surgery and, if this is also shown to improve cure rates, it will revolutionise how we manage men with high-risk prostate cancers,” he said.
Professor Hofman said collaboration with industry partners including the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) was crucial to the study.
“This research underscores ANSTO’s commitment to fostering a healthier future for all Australians,” he said.
“ANSTO is a beacon of excellence in nuclear science and technology in Australia and their support has been instrumental in achieving these promising results.”
Dr Renu Eapen, Urologist at Peter Mac, explained: “The LuTectomy study also gives us a unique opportunity to study prostate cancer tissue samples pre and post LuPSMA therapy to understand the tumour microenvironment and how we can better select patients for individualised treatment”.
The LuTectomy clinical trial was funded by a grant from Movember and the Australian Government, together with support from Novartis, and the EJ Whitten Foundation at Epworth Healthcare.
The paper is titled “Administering [177Lu] Lu-PSMA-617 Prior to Radical Prostatectomy in Men with High-risk Localised Prostate Cancer (LuTectomy): A Single-centre, Single-arm, Phase 1/2 Study.
Source: Peter Mac
