Manufacture and use of gallium-68 PSMA-11 for PET/CT scans

OK … so it took us a couple of days to work out why only two centers (at UCSF and UCLA) had been approved to administer the new (to the US) gallium-68 PSMA-11 scans. It wasn’t very smart of us. We should have realized immediately! … READ MORE …

FDA approves first gallium-68 PSMA PET scan imaging agent in US, BUT …

Yesterday the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) gave its approval for the first gallium-68 prostate-specific membrane antigen imaging agent (Ga-67 PSMA-11), for the use in association with positron emission tomography (PET) scanning for the evaluation of men with suspected prostate cancer — and most particularly for those men  with high-risk characteristics suggesting the possibility of metastasis, including men with newly diagnosed or recurrent disease. However, here’s the “but”… READ MORE …

Axumin-based PET/CT scans and detection of recurrent prostate cancer

A new report from a relatively small, single-institution study has provided additional information about the utility of [18F]fluciclovine (Axumin) PET/CT scans in the detection of recurrent prostate cancer after definitive first-line treatment. … READ MORE …

Alas … PPV not good for PI-RADS at all

For the past few years, some of us have been quietly concerned about the true value of MRI scans and the accuracy of PI-RADS scores in evaluation of a patient’s risk for the presence of clinically significant prostate cancer. This is a complex issue … but data from a large, recently completed study has now validated these concerns. … READ MORE …

Imaging studies for men with recurrent prostate cancer

We had previously reported on a presentation by Calais et al. earlier this year. … READ MORE …

Are “manograms” a viable option in prostate cancer screening and risk assessment?

For several years, Dr. Jelle Barentz in the Netherlands has been a prominent advocate for the idea that we might be able to use imaging methodologies (prostate “manograms”, like breast mammograms for women) to screen for risk of prostate cancer — either along with or instead of PSA testing. … READ MORE …

Gadolinium contrast and mpMRI scans

In his latest epistle to the medical community on the MedPage Today web site, prostate cancer patient Howard Wolinsky writes about the need (or lack of need) for the use of gadolinium-containing contrast agents associated with the conduct of multiparametric MRI (mpMRI) scans. … READ MORE …

Gallium-68 PSMA vs. fluorine-18 fluciclovine PET/CT scans

According to a presentation given yesterday at the ASCO meeting here in Chicago, PET/CT scanning with 68Ga-PSMA-11 is more accurate than 18F-fluciclovine PET/CT at detecting recurrent prostate cancer in men with early biochemical recurrence following radical prostatectomy. … READ MORE …

What did we learn at the AUA this year?

The annual meeting of the American Urological Association (AUA) is one at which a great deal of information is exchanged, but a lot of that information is of limited utility to patients. … READ MORE …

MRI and MRI-guided biopsies — a new Cochrane review

Cochrane reviews are structured, systematic, focused reviews of evidence in the field of medicine that either support or do not support specific forms of diagnosis and management of patients with or suspected of having particular disorders. … READ MORE …

Early data suggest 18F-DCFPyL PET/CT scans can change patient management

A media release issued yesterday by Progenics Pharmaceuticals states that the investigational imaging agent 18F-DCFPyL changed physician behavior in the management of biochemically recurrent prostate cancer in > 65 percent of patients. … READ MORE …

New prostate cancer imaging techniques and their use in clinical practice

An article by Vapiwala et al., just published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, is a “must read” for patients who are trying to understand how new types of imaging technology are being applied in the diagnosis, work-up, and monitoring of men with various stages of prostate cancer. … READ MORE …

Modern prostate cancer imaging: application of the right scan at the right time

A new “opinion” article in the Journal of Clinical Oncology this week has addressed the complex issue of how best to think about (a) how we are regulating use of and (b) how we are applying new forms of imaging technique in the management of prostate cancer … READ MORE …

How to get a free gallium-68 PSMA-11 PET/CT scan (and yes, there IS a catch)

A research team at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is seeking participants for a randomized, Phase III, clinical trial of the utility of 68Ga-PSMA-11 PET/CT molecular imaging for planning of salvage radiotherapy after first-line treatment for localized prostate cancer. … READ MORE …

How accurate are gallium-68 PSMA PET/CT scans in the “real world”?

A new article in the journal Cancer Imaging has provided us with an interesting set of “real world” data on the accuracy of gallium-68 PSMA PET/CT scans in the management of prostate cancer. … READ MORE …