Published in:
Open Access 01-03-2020 | Prostate Cancer | Original Article
The management impact of 68gallium-tris(hydroxypyridinone) prostate-specific membrane antigen (68Ga-THP-PSMA) PET-CT imaging for high-risk and biochemically recurrent prostate cancer
Published in: European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging | Issue 3/2020
Login to get accessAbstract
Purpose
To determine the impact on clinical management of patients with high-risk (HR) prostate cancer at diagnosis and patients with biochemical recurrence (BCR) using a new kit form of 68Ga-prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA), namely tris(hydroxypyridinone) (THP)-PSMA, with positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT).
Methods
One hundred eighteen consecutive patients (50 HR, 68 BCR) had management plans documented at a multidisciplinary meeting before 68Ga-THP-PSMA PET-CT. Patients underwent PET-CT scans 60-min post-injection of 68Ga-THP-PSMA (mean 159 ± 21.2 MBq). Post-scan management plans, Gleason score, prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and PSA doubling time (PSAdt) were recorded.
Results
HR group: 12/50 (24%) patients had management changed (9 inter-modality, 3 intra-modality). Patients with PSA < 20 μg/L had more frequent management changes (9/26, 34.6%) compared with PSA > 20 μg/L (3/24, 12.5%). Gleason scores > 8 were associated with detection of more nodal (4/16, 25% vs 5/31, 16.1%) and bone (2/16, 12.5% vs 2/31, 6.5%) metastases. BCR group: Clinical management changed in 23/68 (34%) patients (17 inter-modality, 6 intra-modality). Forty out of 68 (59%) scans were positive. Positivity rate increased with PSA level (PSA < 0.5 μg/L, 0%; PSA 0.5–1.0 μg/L, 35%; PSA 1.0–5.0 μg/L, 69%; PSA 5.0–10.0 μg/L, 91%), PSAdt of < 6 months (56% vs 45.7%) and Gleason score > 8 (78.9% vs 51.2%).
Conclusions
68Ga-THP-PSMA PET-CT influences clinical management in significant numbers of patient with HR prostate cancer pre-radical treatment and is associated with PSA. Management change also occurs in patients with BCR and is associated with PSA and Gleason score, despite lower scan positivity rates at low PSA levels < 0.5 μg/L.