Advanced prostate cancer diagnosis and therapy with gallium-67 and yttrium-90, respectively.
BACKGROUND
Androgen deprivation therapy remains so far the mainstay of advanced prostate cancer treatment. Although it improves the quality of life of the patient for some time, the disease progresses and soon it becomes hormonally unresponsive. The object of our research has been to find a systemic therapy for prostate cancer patients whose disease no longer responds to hormone therapy, radiation therapy, chemotherapy and immunotherapy.


METHODS
Thirty-one advanced prostate cancer patients with intense bone metastasis pain, bed ridden, and with permanent urinary catheter were first examined with Ga-67 and then treated with Y-90 solutions which were chromatographically and electrophoretically analysed for the presence of both cationic and anionic species of the radionuclide. The quality of life and prostate specific antigen (PSA values) values were followed for testing the success of the therapy.


RESULTS
Prostate cancer-affine Y-90 cured the advanced prostate cancer patients who regained their normal life. The uptake of the radionuclide in the primary cancer and its metastases responsible for the treatment has been confirmed by scintigraphy.


CONCLUSIONS
Prostate cancer-affine Y-90 solution, containing stable cationic and anionic species of the radionuclide, is effective in the cure of advanced prostate cancer patients.
Shukla
S K
SK
Servizio di Medicina Nucleare, Ospedale S. Eugenio, Roma, Italy.
Limouris
G S
GS
Cusumano
R
R
Acconcia
A
A
Cipriani
C
C
Atzei
G
G
Argirò
G
G
Boemi
S
S
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000556:secondary; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005710:Gallium Radioisotopes / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010146:Pain; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen / Q000097:blood; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D011788:Quality of Life; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014546:Urinary Catheterization; D015021:Yttrium Radioisotopes
D005710:Gallium Radioisotopes; D015021:Yttrium Radioisotopes; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen