Is There a Role of Interim PSMA PET in Chemotherapy of Prostate Cancer?

While RECIST 1.1 is well established in radiological response assessment, it is of limited use in prostate cancer (PCa) considering that the disease is often seen only as sclerotic bone changes on conventional imaging. Therefore, a molecular imaging-based response assessment including bone scans has been proposed and used in clinical trials, however, due to the flare phenomenon on bone scans this assessment leads to substantial delays in the detection of progression. Indeed, a robust and reliable imaging tool to assess response to chemotherapy in PCa is still warranted. Whether Positron Emission Tomography (PET) targeting the Prostate-Specific Membrane Antigen (PSMA) could achieve this, is still controversial. In this review, we summarized the available data on cytotoxic agents and their impact on PSMA expression, as well as the available data on PSMA PET imaging for response assessment.

Seminars in nuclear medicine. 2023 Aug 18 [Epub ahead of print]

Riccardo Laudicella, Matteo Bauckneht, Irene A Burger

Biomedical Department of Internal and Specialist Medicine, Unit of Nuclear Medicine, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy; Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital Zürich, University of Zürich, Baden, Switzerland., Nuclear Medicine, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genova, Italy; Department of Health Sciences (DISSAL), University of Genova, Genova, Italy., Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital Zürich, University of Zürich, Baden, Switzerland; Department of Nuclear Medicine, Cantonal hospital Baden, Baden, Switzerland. Electronic address: .