The PSMA PET/CT scan has been used in patients with prostate cancer since 2016 to detect metastases at an earlier stage. This scan involves administering a small amount of radioactive substance that binds to PSMA, a protein on prostate cancer cells. Because this radioactive substance lights up on the scan, we can better visualise prostate cancer. This has been investigated in previous studies mainly for metastases of prostate cancer. This makes it increasingly possible to offer patient-centred treatment.
The additional value of this PSMA PET/CT for assessing the tumour in the prostate (what is the ‘local tumour stage’, or how large is the tumour in the prostate and is it growing inside or outside the capsule) has not yet been extensively studied. The support of the Cure for Cancer Foundation will allow us to set up a database where we can compare the outcomes of the scan with those after prostate surgery. Thus, we want to investigate whether the PSMA PET/CT scan can have additional value in predicting prostate cancer growth outside the prostate capsule. This is important for the patient’s prognosis but also for the choice of treatment, for example the choice between radiotherapy and surgery.
This prediction can also help in planning the surgery. For example, it is important to be able to predict the possibility of nerve sparing, avoiding the nerves and thus reducing the risk of impotence after surgery. By continuing to improve these predictions, we know better and better what an individual patient can expect from the course after the treatments, for example the likelihood of disease recurrence but also the likelihood of complications from the surgeries. In addition, we can increasingly offer patient-centred treatment that minimises the chance of side effects from treatment.
