Every year new approaches to the treatment of cancers appear in the world. Oncologists and radiologists prefer to use drugs that target only cancer cells. Targeted radionuclide therapy is a modern technique that has the unique capabilities of targeted radiation exposure.
The essence of Lu-177 treatment
Lutetium-177 belongs to a group of drugs that are used exclusively for the so-called peptide-receptor radionuclide treatment.
Also, the drug molecule contains a transport part - a protein molecule that can recognize the targeted receptors localized on the surface of cancer cells and bind to them. The radioactive component is attached to such a protein carrier, which allows the targeted delivery of a radionuclide to malignant cells.
Lu-177 PSMA treatment for advanced prostate cancer
The drug that is used for the treatment of advanced prostate cancer contains the isotope Lu-177 and a protein that binds to a prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) on the surface of prostate cancer cells. The therapy affects both primary tumor and distant metastases.
Lu-177 treatment includes several stages. The course is selected on an individual basis. Repeated courses are held with intervals of 4-8 weeks. Each time the patient needs to undergo control examinations, which allows monitoring of the results of treatment.
Lutetium PSMA therapy helps relieve pain and other clinical manifestations of metastatic prostate cancer, as it effectively destroys both the neoplasm itself and metastases. Patients usually feel a significant improvement in their well-being and general health condition in a short time after therapy.
Lu-177 therapy in the treatment of neuroendocrine tumors
Neuroendocrine tumors grow slowly, so even if they are detected at a late stage, patients can live for a long time. Accordingly, the treatment of neuroendocrine tumors requires the use of effective and safe medications that can be administered for a long time.
Such neoplasms actively express somatostatin receptors. Somatostatin is a hormone that is synthesized in the brain. Due to the structure of the drug, Lutetium-177 can bind to somatostatin receptors.
In the treatment of the disease doctors usually use a drug called Lu-177 dotatate.
Selective criteria for Lu-177 treatment
The main condition for this type of therapy is the presence of a cellular target. In other words, cancer cells must have corresponding receptors. Positron emission tomography (PET-CT) can be used to determine if cancer cells will respond to treatment.
Lu-177 treatment is usually performed when:
The neoplasm has metastasized
There is no possibility of surgical removal of the tumor
Other treatment methods like radiation therapy or chemotherapy have proven to be ineffective, and cancer continues to progress despite the treatment performed
Safety and efficacy of Lu-177 treatment
The lu-177 treatment has many advantages over the traditional cancer treatments:
It allows minimizing the period of hospital stay
It allows influencing only the pathological focus, without affecting healthy tissues
Active components of the drug affect cancer cells of different localizations, which allows fighting not only the primary tumor but also metastases
It is possible to use the method in severe cases of oncology
The method is safe and well-tolerated
How to undergo Lu-177 treatment?
To date, Lu-177 treatment is not carried out in all countries of the world. You might need to travel for treatment. But is it possible to go for treatment during a lockdown?
Yes, it is. The medical tourism company Booking Health can arrange your treatment, helping not only with overcoming the lockdown limitations but also with all the aspects you don't have time to deal with.
Before you go abroad for treatment, you need to make sure that this technique is suitable for your diagnosis. You need to submit medical reports for the consideration of specialists.
Booking Health can translate medical reports for you, negotiate with medical centers, resolve the issue of obtaining the medical visa, provide an interpreter, and more.
If you want to start the Lu-177 treatment as soon as possible, leave a request on the Booking Health website to get the information on your treatment plan.
