New Emerging Prostate Cancer Treatment Now Available at JENCC

“We are a state-of-the-art Cancer Center that can provide the very best care here, so patients do not have to travel outside of this region,” says Dr. Lisa Chaiken, Radiation Oncologist at the June E. Nylen Cancer Center (JENCC). The oncologists and leadership are committed to ensuring Siouxland has access to the most advanced cancer diagnosis and treatment options and have now started using a new and very targeted therapy option for recurrent prostate cancer.

PLUVICTO® (lutetium Lu 177 vipivotide tetraxetan) is a radiopharmaceutical or radioligand therapy (RLT) designed to treat adult patients who have an advanced form of metastatic prostate cancer. Their tumors are prostate-specific membrane antigen-positive and are castration-resistant, also known as PSMA+ mCRPC.

Dr. Chaiken explains there are criteria that prostate cancer patients must meet for PLUVICTO to be an option for them. “This is an entirely new treatment for Stage 4 reoccurring prostate cancer patients that have failed conventional hormonal therapy and chemotherapy that have the PSMA+ marker that shows up in any metastatic location on their diagnostic PET scan. Before that would mean the end of treatment options for these patients, but PLUVICTO is clinically proven to improve statistically significant survival and quality of life for these cancer patients.”

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved PLUVICTO in March 2022. Dr. Chaiken and JENCC worked with the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) for the training and to bring this emerging and exciting field for cancer patients to Sioux City.

PLUVICTO is a unique radiation therapy. This form of precision medicine uses radiation in peripheral intravenous (IV) infusion form to target and then be absorbed by the PSMA protein or cancer cells, damaging and destroying them. Clinical trials have shown that PLUVICTO shrinks the tumors but limits damage to the surrounding healthy cells as well as delays the progression of the disease. While there can be side effects, Dr. Chaiken says this seems to be a well-tolerated treatment and patients are minimally symptomatic.

Patients who qualify and have PLUVICTO approved by their insurance will have their bloodwork checked about 2 weeks before the treatment. On the day of, they have their vitals checked before starting the IV. The PLUVICTO infusion averages just a few minutes and then will be flushed with saline. The patient will sit for 10-15 minutes and have their vitals checked again. Before leaving, a nurse will go over the precautions again. While the dose significantly decreases in three days patients should follow precautions for a week. Dr. Chaiken stresses the radiation precautions are very minimal and easy to comply with. Our June E. Nylen Cancer Center radiation oncology nurses call the next day to check on the patient and answer any questions they might have. PLUVICTO is given in six doses six weeks apart followed by the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test to determine the response.

“PLUVICTO is a powerful RLT drug that is letting prostate cancer patients live with their disease with good quality of life,” says Dr. Chaiken.

She continues that we have not seen the full potential of this drug and how it can be used and says additional RLT drugs may become the standard of care for earlier-stage prostate cancer as well as other types of cancer. “While there have been targeted agents previously, this is an emerging and exciting field for cancer patients. There are more sophisticated radioligand therapies being used for other forms of cancer like neuroendocrine and lymphoma and in active research for other common cancers. Continued studies will show how these may become complimentary to current treatment options.”

Because PLUVICTO is for reoccurring prostate cancer, patients who want more information about this treatment option should talk to their medical oncologist or urologist for a referral to our Radiation Oncology Department.

Dr. Lisa Chaiken, Radiation Oncologist at JENCC

Image from PLUVICTO Patient Education Brochure