New method may help prostate cancer patients

By Stephen Beech via SWNS

A new advanced imaging method could change prostate cancer treatment for nearly one in five patients.

It gives doctors a clearer view of suspected tumors during biopsies.

A trial conducted at the University Hospital Bonn in Germany has been testing the benefit of a scanning method known as PSMA-PET/CT to help target where to take biopsy samples.

Interim results reveal that when used alongside standard imaging techniques of an MRI scan followed by a biopsy, the additional scans might help doctors to make better decisions about subsequent courses of treatment.

The findings show that, compared to the standard scans alone, when PSMA-PET/CT was used doctors changed how they might treat a patient with clinically significant prostate cancer in 19 percent of cases.

The new technique also helped to detect more prostate cancers.

Study leader Dr. Philipp Krausewitz, a urologist at University Hospital Bonn, said: “The normal standard of care, which is an MRI scan and then a biopsy, is already good at detecting prostate cancer, but we wanted to see if PSMA-PET/CT could offer additional information to help with treatment plans.

“It appears to be having an impact in high-risk patients, but we also saw false positives in six percent of patients which meant we needed further investigations.

"The question we are considering is whether the additional diagnostics are worthwhile.”

The study, known as the DEPROMP trial, recruited around 200 men to take part since March 2021.

The researchers are hoping to have 230 patients enrolled by the end of the trial. The preliminary results used data from 219 men who all underwent MRI, PSMA-PET/CT and biopsy.

Their scans were then randomly looked at by two separate teams of urologists – one was given the results from the MRI, PSMA-PET/CT and biopsy, while the other group were given the results without the PSMA-PET/CT data.

The researchers then compared how the two teams would choose to proceed with treatment based on the information they had.

For example, the clinicians might choose to do surgery to remove the cancer or give the patient chemotherapy.

But it is not yet clear how the decisions might ultimately affect patient outcomes as it can take years and even decades for cancer to return if treated correctly.

Dr. Krausewitz said: “We are seeing a change in cancer detection and management plans in these early results, but we have to wait to see if the final results reflect this.

“PSMA-PET/CT is not yet available everywhere as it is expensive, so it is important we understand how it can be effectively used.”

The findings are due to be presented at the European Association of Urology Annual Congress in Milan, Italy.