Every year new cancer treatment methods are developed, and doctors are striving to use techniques that are sparing for healthy cells. As a type of radionuclide therapy, Lutetium-177 PSMA therapy meets these requirements based on outstanding practical results. Doctors use this method in combination with other techniques and as a stand-alone treatment. PSMA therapy with Lutetium-177 is successfully used in men with metastatic prostate cancer who do not respond to hormonal and chemotherapy.

How does Lutetium treatment differ from standard therapy?

The conventional cancer therapies (chemotherapy, radiation therapy and hormonal therapy) attack the rapidly dividing cancer cells. But the thing is that healthy tissues are also being harmed in the process, which causes severe side effects. This means that the methods used are not targeted enough. And that’s where Lutetium-177 therapy comes in.

Lutetium therapy is a method of treating pathologies by introducing a therapeutic radiopharmaceutical into the body, which selectively accumulates in the affected organ or tissue. This means that healthy tissue receives a minimal amount of radiation, which significantly reduces side effects. The mechanism of Lutetium-177 PSMA therapy determines the high efficiency, precision, and safety of treatment.

How Lutetium-177 PSMA therapy works

Before the approval of Lutetium-177 PSMA therapy, the treatment protocol for advanced prostate cancer was limited to hormonal drugs that slow down the spread of cancer. After a certain time, the tumor developed, and the drugs no longer had any effect on it. After Lutetium-177 PSMA therapy was discovered, even the most complicated cases of prostate cancer became treatable or, at least, controllable.

Now about how the technique works. Prostate cells normally contain a unique membrane antigen (PSMA). With prostate cancer, its amount increases as the tumor cells multiply; when spreading, the corresponding protein also makes its way to new sites along with cancer cells.

Lutetium-177 PSMA therapy involves introducing a molecule capable of selectively attaching to PSMA receptors on cancer cells. The molecule is bound to the radionuclide. As Lutetium-177 approaches the affected areas, the beta radiation damages cancer cells. In the process described, the PSMA molecule acts as a transport of radiation to the tumor site, leaving healthy cells unaffected.

The success of therapy with Lutetium in medicine is evaluated by two factors: the reduction in tumor volume as well as a decrease in the prostate-specific antigen blood level.

How much does Lutetium treatment cost?

The cost of Lutetium treatment can vary depending on the country and the diagnosis.

On average, Lutetium therapy for NETs costs 18,044 EUR, while treating prostate cancer with Lutetium-177 PSMA amounts to 8,536 EUR. In Germany, the price for therapy with Lutetium for prostate cancer treatment starts at 13,177 EUR, and in South Korea – 8,587 EUR.

You will also need to undergo an examination before the treatment. The price for PSMA-PET CT is about 3,404 EUR. You can get a personal calculation for the cost of Lutetium treatment on the Booking Health website.

How to start Lutetium-177 treatment abroad?

For over 12 years, Booking Health has been successfully helping people with cancer get medical care abroad. Starting your treatment with Booking Health, you will undergo Lutetium treatment in the best clinics abroad and do it in the most convenient way. Booking Health will take care of all the arrangements, starting from the clinic choice and finishing with the translation of medical reports after the treatment completion.

Booking Health offers:

  • Preparing and translating medical documentation
  • Negotiating with the chosen clinic
  • Helping with visa receiving
  • Booking the flight and accommodation
  • Arranging and scheduling consultations
  • Interpreting services

Booking Health also provides patients with the insurance and cost of treatment guarantee. Don’t hesitate to contact Booking Health if you have any questions. All you need to do is visit the Booking Health website and fill in a request form.