LONDON, ON – A multicentre study led by London Health Sciences Centre Research Institute (LHSCRI), Lawson Research Institute of St. Joseph's Health Care London (Lawson), and University Health Network (UHN) has found a novel imaging solution, called prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) positron emission tomography (PET) scanning, can more effectively detect the recurrence of prostate cancer compared to standard imaging methods, and is associated with improved survival outcomes. The study, carried out over seven years, is published in The Journal of Nuclear Medicine .
During a PSMA PET scan, a radioactive molecule designed to target a protein in prostate cancer cells is injected into the bloodstream of a patient prior to the scan. The study uncovered that the molecule is effective in binding to prostate cancer cells, helping to detect recurring prostate cancer earlier and more effectively than standard imaging methods.
"This new technique gives physicians the information needed to determine the best treatment," says Dr. Glenn Bauman, Scientist at LHSCRI and Radiation Oncologist at London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC). "When a blood test shows cancer has returned but standard imaging can't find it, physicians may need to use less precise therapies like whole-body drug therapy. With this new imaging technique, we can locate the cancer and target it directly."
The research team found that the overall detection rate was 70 per cent, much higher than the historical rates of detection of 10-20 per cent with conventional bone scan and CT scans. About half of all patients had their management of the disease changed based on the results of the scans. Almost 90 per cent of men with cancer detected by PSMA PET had a change in management of their recurring prostate cancer following the scan. They also found that patients who had their treatments modified based on results from the PET scan had a better overall survival rate than those who received standard imaging.
"We're encouraged by how this imaging approach is already changing cancer care," says Dr. Ur Metser, Division Head of Molecular Imaging at UHN and Clinician Scientist at UHN's Princess Margaret Cancer Centre. "Our study showed that PET scans using this technique led to more personalized treatment decisions and those changes are linked to longer survival. That's a meaningful step forward for patients and their care teams."
Dr. Bauman and his colleagues from Lawson and LHSCRI were the first in Canada to image a patient using PSMA PET imaging in 2016. Since then, this study has enrolled thousands of men across six hospitals in Ontario through funding from Ontario Health - Cancer Care Ontario. Based on promising results from this and other research, PSMA PET scans are now funded as a standard of care test for men with advanced prostate cancer.
