When doctors treat prostate cancer, finding every hidden piece of the disease is a major challenge. Standard preoperative imaging can sometimes miss small areas or lymph nodes where the cancer has spread. This makes it hard for surgeons to know exactly where they need to focus during an operation.
A review of 28 studies looked at PSMA targeted radioguided surgery, which uses a specific protein marker (PSMA) to guide the way. The results showed that this method is much more accurate than standard imaging. It reached sensitivity rates between 90% and 97% and specificity rates between 90% and 99%.
This means the technology helps surgeons see cancer in real time during surgery. While it shows strong promise for finding hidden lymph nodes, it is important to remember that this data comes from a review of existing studies. It suggests the tool is very accurate, but doctors will still use their judgment to decide how to best treat each patient.
