A promising new treatment strategy from UCLA researchers could change the outlook for men whose prostate cancer returns after initial therapy—delaying the need for hormone treatments that often come with harsh side effects.
The study, unveiled this week at the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) annual meeting, tested the power of combining PSMA-targeted radioligand therapy—a radioactive drug designed to seek out prostate cancer cells—with standard stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT).
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Doubling Time Without Progression
Researchers followed 92 men with recurring prostate cancer, each showing only a few isolated tumor sites. Traditionally, SBRT alone is used in these cases. In the trial, half the men received radiation alone, while the other half got both treatments.
The results were striking: men who received the combination stayed cancer-free for a median of 18 months, compared to seven months with radiation alone.
“This is the first randomized trial showing that PSMA-targeted radioligand can significantly delay progression when paired with metastasis-directed radiation,” said Dr. Amar Kishan, executive vice chair of radiation oncology at UCLA and the study’s lead author.
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Delaying Hormone Therapy, Preserving Quality of Life
Beyond slowing the cancer, the new approach may help men avoid or postpone hormone therapy, which is often the next step in treatment but is notorious for side effects like fatigue, bone loss, and mood swings.
“It gives patients more time before needing hormonal therapy,” Kishan explained. “Avoiding or delaying it consistently benefits quality of life.”
Challenges and Next Steps
While the treatment extended cancer-free time, the disease eventually returned in many participants. Kishan emphasized that further refinements are needed: “There were still progression events, so there may be ways to optimize the treatment further.”
The drug used in the trial, 177Lu-PNT2002, has not yet been FDA-approved for this stage of disease. For now, experts encourage men facing recurrent prostate cancer to consult a radiation oncologist about potential options.
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