Dr. Oliver Sartor Does It Again


It would appear that a new treatment that is effective in heavily pre-treated patients may be on the near-term horizon. Dr. Sartor is the lead author of a New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) article published June 23, 2021 that demonstrates that PSMA-617 Lu-177 prolongs survival in patients with metastatic prostate cancer. These patients had undergone multiple therapies including conventional and novel hormones and chemotherapy, yet still had disease progression. PSMA-617 Lu-177 is a “smart bomb” that delivers radiation precisely to the region of the tumor.

PSMA is a protein expressed on prostate cancer cells and Lu-177 is an isotope that radiates the area around PSMA-expressing cells. This therapy had been used in smaller trials but the NEJM manuscript describes experiences in a large randomized trial (VISION). Given the positive nature of the treatment in prolonging survival in heavily pre-treated patients, it is anticipated that the FDA will give approval for this therapy. Further trials are not being conducted in less heavily pretreated patients.

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