Investigative Treatment Shows Promise for Advanced Prostate Cancer

New research presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology 2021 annual meeting has found encouraging results with the use of 177Lu-PSMA-617 in patients with advanced prostate cancer.

According to researcher Michael Morris, MD, a medical oncologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, prostate cancer cells have the prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) proteins on their surface. These proteins represent an excellent therapeutic target, Morris said, because they are not present on most normal tissues.

The investigative treatment 177Lu-PSMA-617 is being investigated in the VISION trial. It targets PSMA with high affinity and binds to the proteins’ external domain, Morris said. The drug emits beta-radiation, which allows the treatment to radiate the cell that it is attached to as well as several surrounding cells.