Recurring cancer

CarerPM, we are very short of information about your husband's diagnosis which makes offering any advice problematic. I assume he has a rising PSA (at what rate of growth?) and the suspicion must be that he has micromets in his body, too small to show in the PET scan. They might show up in the more accurate PSMA scan, but might not. So much depends on where the PCa is, single or multiple locations. If this can be clarified then treatment options like chemotherapy, abiraterone and so on become possibilities.

AC

A number of hospitals are pushing for PSMA scans for NHS patients but these have not yet been approved. I was due to have one privately circa £2,400 last Saturday but the machine that makes the tracer (Gallium 68) unfortunately broke the day before so I have been rescheduled. I was told that there is only one supplier of tracer which serves the few London Hospitals who currently do this scan and there is presently no alternative source of supply. Due to the short half life of the tracer, the 'Generator' has to be not far from where it is to be used. It is inevitable that when the scan is approved for NHS patients, the demand will be such that more 'Generators' will be introduced with less chance of abortive attendances. Unfortunately, although the scan is designed specifically for PCa, 5-10% of men are unsuitable.

When I sought estimates for this scan last November, UCLH in London gave the lowest price at £2,200 but I don't know whether this is still applicable.

Meanwhile, has your husband not even been offered Hormone Therapy as a systemic treatment?