Posted on 01/07/2023 9:57:03 AM PST by ConservativeMind
In men recently diagnosed with intermediate or high-grade prostate cancer, prostate specific membrane antigen (PSMA), PET/MRI can successfully determine whether their cancer is likely to return within two years of a prostatectomy. Armed with this information, physicians can identify patients who could benefit from additional treatment and/or frequent surveillance.
"Clinicians currently use biopsy findings and clinical information, such as prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels, to predict if prostate cancer is slow-growing or if it will spread quickly and require aggressive treatments," said Andrei Iagaru, MD. "However, functional imaging, such as PET/MRI, is increasingly being considered as a way to identify patients at risk for persistent or recurrent disease."
Researchers examined the value of 68Ga-PSMA-11 PET/MRI for risk stratification of newly diagnosed prostate patients prior to initial therapy. Seventy-three patients with a new diagnosis of intermediate- or high-grade prostate cancer were imaged with 68Ga-PSMA-11 PET/MR between April 2016 and December 2020. PET findings were divided into groups based on low versus high uptake in the primary lesion and the presence or absence of metastatic disease. These findings were compared to biopsy results and clinical information. The relationship between the PET/MRI findings and patient outcomes were also examined.
High uptake in the primary lesion and the presence of PSMA metastasis were associated with biochemical failure or rapid recurrence within two years of prostatectomy. In contrast, patients with low uptake in the primary lesion who did not have evidence of metastatic disease on PET/MRI had a low likelihood of experiencing recurrence during the follow-up period.
"PSMA PET/MRI adds value to the pre-therapy evaluation of patients with newly diagnosed prostate cancer, and the information from PET seems to be as reliable, if not more reliable, than biopsy findings and clinical information in predicting which patients will have suboptimal outcome," stated Farshad Moradi, MD, Ph.D.
(Excerpt) Read more at medicalxpress.com ...
This is available today and will help you and your doctor know if additional aggressive action needs to be taken now, rather than after it assuredly gets worse.
“and the information from PET seems to be as reliable, if not more reliable, than biopsy findings and clinical information in predicting which patients will have suboptimal outcome,”
This is absolutely true.
As a result of a PET scan, my prostatectomy was cancelled. It show a slight escape from the prostate capsule to surrounding lymph nodes.
According to the Stanford doctors at the VA Palo Alto med center there was no reason to suffer the inconvenience and recovery from the surgery as it would simply not make a difference.
Straight to ADT for me.
There is NO SUBSTITUTE for the PET scan. Insist on it.
Not even the multi parametric MRI picked up my “leakage”.
That could help save your life.
Thank you for sharing that vital information.
bump for future reference
Multiple NIH reports on using Ivermectin in prostate cancer treatments.
Long TMI story, but worth the read for anyone with BPH.
For the last three years, before and after a broken hip, I thought I had an enlarged prostate because I couldn’t pee well. In the hospital for the hip, they prescribed flowmax (tamulosin) which let me pee, but led to other problems, so I generally didn’t take it regularly, but suffered on
Fast forward to three months ago when I started experimenting with some supplements (DHEA, zinc, citrulline, Vitamin D, taurine, d spartic acid). All of a sudden I completely blocked up, even had some blood in the urine. Took Flomax to at least keep from exploding my bladder.
I thought I had over dosed on the supplements, but it turned out I had a big urinary tract infection, which the supplements maybe knocked loose. Two courses of Bactrim antibiotic wiped out the infection, though it also caused huge swelling in the feet with a nasty rash).
So here is where it gets really interesting. Now I can pee like a fire hydrant, and a blood test showed I have a normal PSA reading. So my prostate wasn’t enlarged after all, I’d just had a very long term bacterial infection I didn’t even know about and even a hospital stay didn’t reveal.
I hope this helps some other old fart out there who mistakenly thinks their prostate is as large as a baseball.
On a side note, the swelling in my feet and rash also went away when I started taking an electrolyte drink (one called Skratch, though there are many), so drinking lots of water to cure a UTI may have caused an imbalance.
I hope this helps someone.
.
ADT’s a bit of a bitch. My sympathies, brother.
I hope mine lasts for a while, but you never know. PM me for details if you want to exchange.
I survive it by eating well and 300-350 minutes of exercise weekly. No less than 90mins of that is fairly heavy lifting for an old man.
Combined reps and weight about 20,000lbs per week.
Every week.
That’s just to keep from physically regressing.
Those who cannot, or do not keep a similar routine gradually atrophy out of existence.
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