Researchers conducted a phase II trial to see if a specialized PET scan could help predict which men with high-risk prostate cancer might see their cancer return after hormone therapy. The study involved 89 men who were randomly assigned to receive either a standard hormone therapy or that therapy plus an additional drug before surgery. The men were followed for about three years on average.
The main goal was to see if measurements from a PET scan called [F]PSMA-1007, taken after the hormone therapy, were related to whether the cancer came back. The study found that the amount of cancer activity seen on the scan after treatment was linked to a higher risk of the cancer returning. Other factors linked to a higher risk were having cancer that had already spread to distant parts of the body or to nearby lymph nodes before treatment started.
This was a relatively small, early-stage trial. The results show an association between the scan results and cancer recurrence, but they do not prove that the scan itself causes a change in outcome. The study did not report on side effects or safety concerns. For now, these findings suggest this type of PET scan might one day help doctors better identify which patients need more intensive treatment, but much more research is needed.
