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New Prostate Cancer Imaging Tracer Improves Detection

Author: Gregory a. Echt
by Gregory a. Echt
Posted: Jan 13, 2018

According to an article from Journal of Nuclear Medicine, scientists and investigators at National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB), have come up with an imaging agent and how its application can help discover the early or advanced stage of prostate cancer. The new imaging agent is known as 68Ga-THP-PSMA radiotracer. It is found to be both, harmless and efficient.

It has been found that roughly one in seven men is diagnosed with prostate cancer. It is ranked fifth as the cause of death all around the world. American Cancer Society has stated that they believe around 161,000 new cases of prostate cancer will be seen in America. Approximately 27,000 patients will pass away due to this disease.

According to the senior investigator Xiaoyuan Chen, if prostate cancer is found during its early stages, it is treatable.He also said that it is important to come up with an efficient and precise imaging method in identifying metastatic and primary lesions in patients with prostate cancer. Thanks to this new tracer, more patients can receive excellent lifesaving scans.

The study was conducted, which involved 13 prostate cancer patients. Four of them were recently diagnosed and nine of them received therapy. Aside from these 13 patients, there were five healthy volunteers. The PET radiotracer spotted 20 bone lesions present in seven primary prostate cancer patients. The PET radiotracer also exposed that the prostate specific antigen level was not necessarily increased in the bone metastases patients.

Xiaoyuan Chen states that the results prove to show much accurate results than a MDP radiotracer. MDP radiotracers are commonly used till now. Although they are sensitive bone scanners, they lack precision since the readings can be affected by any infection or trauma. The various imaging tests and techniques currently used have their strengths but they lack in identifying and tracking the metastatic lymph nodes, bone lesions and monitor primary tumors.

The patients were kept on a follow-up for two weeks. As such, no detrimental side effects were shown.

Thinking about the future, Chen says that this new imaging tracer will make its way in playing a vital part in determining the stage of prostate cancer.It will also help in monitoring cancer, early and accurately. He is hopeful that one day this tracer is going to be the primary technique for diagnosing prostate cancer.

About The Prostate Seed InstituteThe Prostate Seed Institute is one of the country’s leading pioneers in prostate cancer treatment, including prostate seed implementation, a fast and painless procedure that effectively treats prostate cancer in its earliest stages. With a team of oncology experts and a state-of-the-art facility, the Prostate Seed Institute provides prostate cancer patients with the most comprehensive treatment available.
About the Author

Dr. Echt and his team at the Prostate Seed Institute offer the most highly sophisticated methods of radiation therapy available in the United States, equal to that found in major medical center and academic settings. These include prostate seed impla

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Author: Gregory a. Echt

Gregory a. Echt

Member since: Dec 21, 2017
Published articles: 11

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