Improving quality of life in patients with metastatic prostate cancer following one cycle of 177Lu-PSMA-617 radioligand therapy: a pilot study.

INTRODUCTION:  To evaluate the clinical therapeutic response of PSMA targeted radioligand therapy with Lu-PSMA-617 in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. The current study analyzed disease-related quality of life (QoL) in patients undergoing PSMA therapy with a special focus on the association with simultaneous PSA response.

METHODS:  Thirty patients (age range 50-87 years, median 73.5 years) undergoing Lu-PSMA-617 therapy from 2014 to 2016 at our institution were included in this pilot study. Health-related QoL was assessed by EORTC QLQ-C30 questionnaire filled in at baseline and two months after initializing the PSMA-therapy. The treatment response was evaluated under three categories with regard to changes in (a) global health status and other functional scales, (b) disease-related symptoms, and (c) effects of PSA values.

RESULTS:  Most patients underwent three treatment cycles (n = 12); at least 2 cycles (n = 6) or at most 8 cycles (n = 1) were performed. Out of 30 cases, PSA response after the first cycle was observed in 73 % (n = 22). Compared to baseline, QoL was significantly improved at 2-month follow-up revealing increase in global health status (p = 0.025), role functioning (p = 0.017) and emotional functioning (0.010), and decrease in pain (p = 0.033). Global health status variation can be explained up to 20.5 % by response in PSA (p = 0.012), this improved with PSA reduction.

CONCLUSION:  PSMA radioligand therapy seems to be an effective treatment option of metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer patients as it improves their QoL in terms of increasing global health and mitigation of disease-related pain.

Thieme. All rights reserved.

PMID: 32823294