To print: Select File and then Print from your browser's menu --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Title: Prostascint Helps Pinpoint Recurrence Of Prostate Cancer After Prostatectomy URL: http://www.pslgroup.com/dg/23B7A.htm Doctor's Guide April 14, 1997
NEW ORLEANS, April 14, 1997 -- A new imaging agent called Prostascint(TM) may be a useful tool in helping physicians determine whether prostate cancer has spread elsewhere in the body following a prostatectomy, thus enabling more effective treatment. That finding was reported today by Cleveland Clinic physicians at the American Urological Association annual meeting. The Cleveland Clinic studied 38 patients who had undergone radical prostatectomies. Following surgery, each patient experienced an increase in prostate specific antigen (PSA), which often is indicative of the cancer having spread elsewhere in the body. "The problem we face in these situations is determining whether the cancer is locally recurrent in the tissue surrounding the prostate or it has spread to another area of the body. The PSA test won't tell us that," said Eric A. Klein, M.D., head of The Cleveland Clinic's Section of Urologic Oncology. "Knowing the location and extent of the cancer is essential in determining the most effective treatment." In the study, physicians infused the patients with Prostascint, an antibody that has been tagged with a radioactive tracer. Between two and five days later, the patients were scanned with a gamma camera. The antibody attaches itself to prostate tumors, and the radioactive tracer allows physicians to pinpoint the location of those tumors through the scans. In the study, scans of 21 of the 38 patients indicated a recurrence, with six being local tumors, 11 distant metastases, and four both local and distant disease. None of the recurrences were identified by more commonly used scanning techniques such as CT or MRI, while two were identified by bone scans. "About 30 percent of patients who undergo prostatectomies will experience a recurrence of the disease, so the need for effective diagnostic tools is significant," said Dr. Klein. "If we can positively determine the existence of a recurrence and pinpoint its location in a timely manner, we can potentially save a lot of lives." The study was funded by the Cytogen Corporation, which is marketing Prostascint. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Copyright © 1999 P\S\L Consulting Group Inc. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of P\S\L content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of P\S\L. P\S\L shall not be liable for any errors, omissions or delays in this content or any other content on its sites, newsletters or other publications, nor for any decisions or actions taken in reliance on such content. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This news story was printed from *Doctor's Guide to the Internet* located at http://www.docguide.com --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Return to News Story Page This site is maintained by webmaster@pslgroup.com Please contact us with any comments, problems or bugs. All contents Copyright (c) 1998 P\S\L Consulting Group Inc. All rights reserved.