Researchers in Germany have developed a new PSMA-based PET indicator, F18-PSMA-1007, that seems to be even better. They tested it on 251 biochemically recurrent (after prostatectomy) patients at 3 academic centers.
- 81% had a recurrence detected
- 44% had a local (prostate bed) recurrence
- 41% had a pelvic lymph node recurrence
- 20% had a retroperitoneal lymph node recurrence
- 12% in lymph nodes above the diaphagm
- 40% had bone metastases
- 4% had visceral organ metastases
Detection rates varied by PSA:
- 62% in those with PSAs from 0.2-<0.5
- 75% in those with PSAs from 0.5-<1.0
- 90% in those with PSAs from 1.0-<2.0
- 94% in those with PSAs >2.0
Interestingly, those who had ADT in the last 6 months had higher detection rates (92%) compared to those who'd had no ADT recently (78%). This may be because those who had ADT recently had more advanced tumors. There was some early evidence in mice and lab studies (like this one and this one) that ADT upregulated PSMA. One clinical study indicated that ADT improved detection of PSMA. Two studies (this one and this one) showed no effect of ADT on PSMA detection. More recent evidence indicates use of ADT negatively impacts detection rates. The patient should avoid ADT before getting a PSMA-based PET scan, if possible.
The detection rate among those with PSAs between 0.2-2.0 was 78%, which is comparable to the 88% detection rate reported for men with PSAs between 0.2-3.5 for F18-DCFPyL and much better than the detection rate of 66% reported for Ga-68-PSMA-11 in that PSA range. F18 has an advantage over Ga-68 in having a longer half-life (118 minutes vs 68 minutes) and is more tightly bound to the ligand. Because it is not appreciably excreted through the urinary tract, it can be seen more easily around the prostate - important when the recurrence is near the site of the anastomosis, as most recurrences are. In a mouse study, it was superior to F18-DCFPyL. In a clinical pilot study, they both detected the same tumors.
As of now, the F18 PSMA-based PET indicators seem to be superior, but others are working on ligands that detect other prostate cancer proteins more sensitively and more specifically. Leading candidates are hK2, FMAU, Citrate, Prostate-Stem-Cell-Antigen, , DHT/androgen receptor, uPAR receptor, VPAC receptor, or multiple ligands.
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