Lutetium 177 PSMA therapy has been used in medicine relatively recently. However, in just a few years, it has already become a procedure with a good balance of efficiency and safety.
The advantages of lu 177 psma:
- Possibility to treat even the most advanced forms of prostate cancer.
- Good tolerability of treatment.
- Rare complications.
The most common side effects after lu 177 psma therapy are dry mouth (68%), nausea (48%), and fatigue (36%). However, most are temporary and pass within a few days or weeks after the treatment course1.
Currently, cancer doctors use drugs Lutathera and Pluvicto of the Swiss pharmaceutical company Novartis in medical practice to treat metastatic prostate cancer.
Therapy with lutetium 177 aims to reduce the tumor, prevent its progression, and relieve symptoms and pain associated with bone metastases. In combination with other methods, lutetium treatment can significantly improve the quality of a patient’s life and increase its duration2.
TOP-5 best hospitals for lutetium 177 therapy in Germany
German doctors use the most modern methods of treating prostate cancer. In addition, leading hospitals in Germany receive accreditation from international organizations: the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), the European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO), etc. Therefore, patients in Germany can expect excellent results with minimal health risks. There are several reasons to choose lu 177 psma treatment in German clinics:
- Lu 177 psma therapy can be used for metastatic cancer. Unfortunately, only a few countries worldwide can offer this innovative prostate cancer treatment.
- Experience – German specialists were the first who started to treat patients with prostate cancer using radionuclide methods.
- Radiology and Oncology departments are equipped with the latest medical technology.
Thanks to the high level of medicine in Germany, doctors successfully treat even advanced prostate cancer. As a result, despite the development of distant metastases, many patients can live for many years after diagnosis with high-quality treatment3.
The Lutetium 177 treatment in Germany cost varies, as prices depend on the rating of hospitals and the complexity of each case. The best success rates in lu 177 psma therapy are demonstrated by clinics:
| 1 | Helios Hospital Berlin-Buch | Berlin |
| 2 | Hospital of Goethe-University | Frankfurt-am-Main |
| 3 | University Hospital rechts der Isar | Munich |
| 4 | University Hospital Ludwig-Maximilians | Munich |
| 5 | University Hospital | Marburg |
TOP-5 best hospitals for lutetium 177 therapy in Israel
The country ranks 3rd in the world regarding the quality of medical services for foreign patients. In Israel, 29 clinics have a JCI (Joint Commission International) certificate, which confirms the quality of medical services, the qualification of a doctor, and a high level of service.
Some Israeli clinics are included in authoritative world rankings. For example, Ichilov Suraski and SHEBA medical centers are annually included in the list of the best clinics in the world by Newsweek magazine. Constantly accumulating research results prove that radionuclide lutetium 177 therapy provides obvious benefits for patients with a wide range of cancer in terms of treating prostate cancer, reducing the severity of symptoms, and improving the quality of life4.
Oncologists in Israel actively use this anti-cancer method. Positive reviews of lu 177 psma therapy in Israel indicate the high effectiveness of this technique.
In Israeli clinics, therapy is carried out by experienced oncologists who carefully ensure that the patient tolerates treatment well.
Advantages of radionuclide lutetium 177 treatment in Israel:
- a wide range of innovative treatment methods for various cancer forms;
- modern equipment;
- careful treatment planning;
- constant monitoring of the patient’s health status to exclude the possibility of complications;
- comfortable treatment, and competent and friendly staff.
| 1 | Hadassah University Medical Centre | Jerusalem |
| 2 | Ichilov Sourasky Medical Centre | Tel Aviv |
| 3 | Rambam Health Care | Haifa |
| 4 | SHEBA Medical Centre | Ramat Gan |
| 5 | Assuta Medical Center | Tel Aviv |
TOP-5 best hospitals for lutetium 177 therapy in Poland
Among European countries, Poland is among the top five in terms of quality of treatment. The country’s priority is the introduction of achievements in medicine.
Diagnostics are regularly carried out to detect oncological diseases. Cancer treatment in Poland is based on the latest and most successful methodologies.
Cancer treatment with lutetium 177 in Poland begins with a diagnosis. Then, it is carried out by highly qualified specialists in the field of oncology and radiology.
Finally, the attending physician will tell you about the upcoming procedure, possible results, risks, and side effects.
Oncology requires a comprehensive approach and accurate diagnosis — this is what the Polish clinics are ready to offer.
| 1 | University Hospital | Krakow |
| 2 | Maria Sklodowska-Curie Memorial Institute of Oncology | Warsaw |
| 3 | John Paul II Hospital | Krakow |
| 4 | KCM Clinic | Wroclaw |
| 5 | Oncology Center Franciszek Lukaszczyk | Bydgoszcz |
Benefits of medical tourism
Although medical tourism has appeared relatively recently, thousands of patients have already used its services. And there are many reasons for such growth.
World-known specialists, and medical centers whose technical equipment allows for accurate diagnostics to determine the further course of treatment, a high level of service, comfortable wards, and caring medical staff, are all the advantages of foreign medicine.
Patients travel to another country to get access to drugs, techniques, and equipment that are not available in clinics at home. For example, in 2018, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved lutetium 177 therapy, a new method for treating metastatic prostate cancer5. Yet, therapy can be performed in less than 20 clinics worldwide.
Experts distinguish two main components of quality in medical tourism — the quality of equipment and services. Top foreign clinics are working to improve both indicators.
So, many European hospitals update the equipment for diagnostics and operations every 2-3 years. At the same time, they purchase new, improved modifications of equipment.
The quality of services is the attitude of medical staff towards the patient, the doctor’s qualifications, and the wards’ comfort level. To improve these indicators, clinics exchange experience and receive accreditation from international organizations.
A foreign patient can also be confident in optimizing the Lu-177 PSMA therapy cost, which allows for saving on unnecessary examinations, therapeutic measures, and medications.
Image by tungnguyen0905 from Pixabay
References
- Meyrick D., Gallyamov M., Sabarimurugan S., Falzone N., Lenzo N. Real-world data analysis of efficacy and survival after lutetium-177. National Library of Medicine. Published March 9, 2021. Accessed December 20, 2022. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33687624/
- Rosa K. Lutetium 177 therapy success impacted by prognostic risk group, receipt of subsequent therapies in mCRPC. Targeted Oncology. Published September 11, 2021. Accessed December 20, 2022. https://www.targetedonc.com/view/lutetium-177-therapy-success-impacted-by-prognostic-risk-group-receipt-of-subsequent-therapies-in-mcrpc
- Wallis C., Klaassen Z. Long-term use of lutetium-177 PSMA therapy for men with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. Uro Today. Published September 20, 2021. Accessed December 20, 2022. https://www.urotoday.com/video-lectures/journal-club/video/2280-long-term-use-of-lutetium-177-psma-therapy-for-men-with-metastatic-castration-resistant-prostate-cancer-journal-club-christopher-wallis-zachary-klaassen.html
- Volvak N. Prostate cancer treatment with lutetium-177. AiroMedical. Published April 16, 2022. Accessed December 20, 2022. https://airomedical.com/blogs/treatment-guides/prostate-cancer-treatment-with-lutetium-177
- Prive B.M., Muselaers C.H., van Oort I.M. and others. An update to the pilot study of 177Lu-PSMA in low volume hormone-sensitive prostate cancer. frontiers in Nuclear Medicine. Published May 03, 2022. Accessed December 20, 2022. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnume.2022.863101/full
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