UCLA study finds combination therapy extends time before prostate cancer progression
UCLA researchers have demonstrated that combining PSMA-targeted radioligand therapy with stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) more than doubles the time before prostate cancer progresses, enhancing patient quality of life by delaying hormone therapy.
Researchers from UCLA have validated a way patients can slow the development of their recurrent prostate cancer. Findings from the clinical trial are summarized in a UCLA article by Denise Heady, MA.
The therapy, a combination of a new PSMA-targeted radioligand therapy and stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT), more than doubled the amount of time it took for patients’ disease took progress. Patients who only received SBRT experiences disease progression at an average of 7.4 months. Patients who received the combination experienced disease progression after an average of 17.6 months.
Going longer without prostate cancer worsening means patients can go longer without beginning hormone therapy. The study’s first author, Dr. Amar Kishan, emphasized that hormone therapy comes with side effects that can impact a patient’s quality of life. Therefore, “Avoiding or delaying hormonal therapy consistently benefits quality of life.”
Trial participants received the PSMA-targeted radioligand therapy, PNT2002, before SBRT. The goal was to combat “microscopic disease too small to detect on imaging scans” connected to SBRT. The combination reduced “reducing the risk of cancer returning, the need for hormone therapy, or death by 63%. These benefits were seen across all patient subgroups, regardless of disease stage or the number of lesions, with minimal side effects.” Participants who received the combination also went about 10 months longer without needing hormone therapy than the other group.
Though the results were favorable, “64% of men still experienced disease progression.” The study is published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
