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Where to get a PSMA PET Scan?

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User
Posted 12 Dec 2018 at 16:25

Hi all,


I'm up for prostate surgery soon and hope to get a PSMA PET Scan first. The Paul Strikland Centre is booked till late Jan. Does anyone have contact information where I can this done in the UK or in Europe e.g. Germany?


Thanks,


Ole


 

User
Posted 12 Dec 2018 at 17:04

Hi Ole,


Apart from the Paul Strickland there are other UK hospitals that can do it such as UCLH and The Royal Marsden. Also, from memory I think Ulsterman had his at The London Clinic. You could also try Kings College/Guys/St Thomas's. (all London Hospitals). The hold up is likely to be obtaining the ligand which has to be produced specifically for each individual and when I had my PSMA Paul Strickland told me that all the London Hospitals that do this scan have it brought in from the sole supplying company. You might get it quicker from several hospitals elsewhere. I know among others they do it at Heidelberg University Hospital in Germany where with the DKFZ they originated the 68 Gallium PSMA scan but you would have to check on waiting time. They do a good Christmas market too if go there soon. If you want a bit of sunshine and are prepared to go further for the same cost you could have the scan in Australia and your flights + a few night's accommodation. Another member had the scan in India.


Let us know what you decide and if you are prepared to say how much you are being charged.


 


NB.  I was told at Paul Strickland that a referral by a consultant rather than a GP for even a private patient was required so this is probably the norm.

Edited by member 12 Dec 2018 at 17:25  | Reason: Not specified

Barry
User
Posted 12 Dec 2018 at 17:44
Why do you want a PSMA scan? It is great at identifying mets and small cancer clusters in the prostate bed following biochemical recurrence but if you are about to have RP you dont fit the group of suitable people and it seems rather a waste of time and effort.
"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard
User
Posted 12 Dec 2018 at 22:09

I had mine at the London clinic - £2600


Ulsterman

User
Posted 12 Dec 2018 at 22:35

Thanks - but which London clinic?


Ole


 

User
Posted 12 Dec 2018 at 23:12
That’s the name of it ... the London Clinic
"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard
User
Posted 13 Dec 2018 at 00:48

Also this charity, which again at £2600 doesn’t seem very charitable. Apparently they only cost around £500 in India and £800 in Oz.


https://www.stricklandscanner.org.uk/


 

Edited by member 13 Dec 2018 at 00:48  | Reason: Not specified

User
Posted 13 Dec 2018 at 00:52

Had mine in Munich cost approx £3000 but that included flights, 4 days in Munich for me and the wife and as Barry says at this time of year the Xmas markets are magical.


all the best


 


Roy


 


 

User
Posted 19 Sep 2019 at 11:54

I've just had a PSMA PET scan on the NHS at Barts London.

User
Posted 19 Sep 2019 at 12:25
Yes this scan is now becoming available at some hospitals for men on the NHS but you may have to travel quite away as well as be referred.
Barry
User
Posted 19 Sep 2019 at 13:28
With regard to private treatment you can also make enquiries with Cobalt Health in Cheltenham, and The Theranostic Clinic in Windsor. 👍
User
Posted 19 Sep 2019 at 15:37

Paul Strickland Scanner Center (on Mount Vernon Hospital site in Rickmansworth, M25 J17/J18) does it.


They will do it on NHS if your health authority refers you for it, but most health authorities won't yet.


They'll do it privately too.

User
Posted 19 Sep 2019 at 17:07
Good Paul Strickland are now doing the PSMA scan on the NHS. I had mine there last year and had to pay despite being consultant referred, albeit from a postal code outside their area. My first appointment there was aborted due to a break down in the machine that produces the ligand. I was told that all London Hospitals were supplied by the same source at the time and there is quite a number of times this has happened for one reason or another. So unless things have improved, be prepared for a possible delay. Assume hospitals outside London have arrangements with somebody who has the necessary generator if they don't have one themselves, as the tracer has a short half life, so has to be used quite quickly after it is produced specifically for the man. (I believe this is judged on his weight.)
Barry
User
Posted 19 Sep 2019 at 17:27
It is great that the PSMA tracer is becoming more widely available; my worry is that some private companies may take large amounts of money from a patient that doesn't actually need the scan and would not meet the NHS criteria. The original poster, Ole, falls into this group. PSMA / G68 / choline / FACBC scans are a fantastic and much needed development in cases of biochemical recurrence but are mostly unnecessary for a man who has not yet had primary treatment.
"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard
User
Posted 20 Sep 2019 at 10:26

I had my PMSA PET scan done at Barts London. The Gallium isotope ligand is produced up the road at UCH and has a short half-life so cannot travel far.


You don't get much notice (I had 48hrs), my first appointmet had to be reschedualed as there was failure in tracer production. 


My bone scan showed a possible metsatasis in my L1 vertebrae. I had a ruptured disc there 20 years ago and I manage it with physio exercises but still get back pain and sciatica sometimes.


The PMSA PET scan I had was able to differentiate between scar tissue and regeneration due to my rupture and a possible met and has now ruled out the met.


I can now start hormone therapy and radiotherapy can be concentrated more precisely on the two tumors I have in my in prostate and seminal vesical.


You cannot have a PMSA PET scan if you are on hormone therapy as the therapy suppresses PSA proudcing cells the tracer latches onto.


It is clear this scan is in it's early stages of use and as the tracer has such a short half-life and is unable to travel far from it's site of production it is likely to only be available in areas with large populations.


 


 


 

User
Posted 20 Sep 2019 at 12:06
Many countries have abandoned Choline tracers in favour of G-68, as it is so much more accurate.

Time for ‘The Best Health Service in the World’ to catch up.

Having said that, the NHS has been wonderful for me when I needed it.

Cheers, John.
User
Posted 03 Dec 2019 at 13:42

Does anyone have any news about where to get a PSMA PET scan? My partner has cancer recurrence following a prostatectomy in Feb 2018 and his PSA score was 0.4 two months ago. From reading the medical news it sounds like the PSMA PET scan would be better for him than the choline PET scan and we know that it can be available on the NHS now.


Does anyone know if the PSMA PET scan is available in Wales?


Does anyone know if the PSMA PET scan is available in North West England?


Does anyone know how to find out where to go for a PSMA PET scan?


Thank you.


We have spoken to Prostate Cancer UK, who were very helpful but could only advise that they thought it wasn't available in Wales yet.

User
Posted 03 Dec 2019 at 14:30

Some of the London Hospitals provide it


As someone mentioned the tracer is provided by University College Hospital so hospitals need to be close by.


I have had all my PSMA PET Scans at the London Clinic which is a private hospital.


The last time I had the scan someone came from Scotland in a private ambulance to have the scan, which makes me think it is not available nationwide, but I don't know.


Regards


 


Dave

"Incurable cancer does not mean it is untreatable and does not mean it is terminal either"
User
Posted 03 Dec 2019 at 14:44
Too my knowledge it’s Not available in Wales yet. I get mine done privately at Cobalt Health Cheltenham. But I also know it’s done privately At Genesis Care Windsor. Which is where I have my private Lutetium 177 treatment. Genesis also have clinics all over the country so may be worth ringing them to see if they’ve got a facility “up. North”!? 😜 ps. Do you really need a scan at PSA 0.4? Mines current running at over 1500!!
Keep the Faith
J.
User
Posted 03 Dec 2019 at 15:04
Thanks for these posts.

After a prostatectomy the PSA should be less than 0.1 and remain at that level. However my partner had a score of 0.2 in April and this has now risen to 0.4 in October, indicating that the prostate cancer is still present.

The hospital in Wales has arranged for my partner to have an appointment for a choline scan, most likely to be followed by radiotherapy.

We are asking about the PSMA PET Scan as the medical studies we have read seem to conclude that a PSMA PET scan is better than a choline PET scan if the PSA levels are less than 1. We are naturally concerned about what could potentially be missed and whether we should look into requesting a PSMA PET scan or even into arranging one privately.

Thanks again.

User
Posted 03 Dec 2019 at 15:34
Where money and supply of the tracer are no problem, hospitals are abandoning Choline in favour of Gallium 68 and other different isotopes as they are more accurate.

A friend and other men here with raised PSA post-op have had G-68 PET-PSMA scans which have found nothing, even though cancer is still present.

If you find somewhere, don't expect the scan to be a panacea.

Best of luck.

Cheers, John.
User
Posted 03 Dec 2019 at 21:58
Be aware that you have to express sufficient PSMA for the scan to work, about 8% of men do not do so and indeed we have had at least one member on this forum for whom it did not do so. Also, be aware that the scan can only show tumours down to a certain size and not always then. There is a scan that has been shown to have shown more mets in a cohort of men tested with this scan and the 68 Gallium one but to the best of my knowledge the 18F DCFPyL PET/CT scan is not yet available in the UK. (Please state anybody if this has now changed).
Barry
User
Posted 03 Dec 2019 at 22:08
Worth thinking through what difference it would make to future decisions. If a different tracer showed no distant areas of concern, would he go ahead with RT? If yes, then he may as well have the choline scan as there is the same chance of microscopic cancer clusters not being picked up. His PSA is behaving quite typically for cancer cells left behind in the prostate bed / pelvic region which salvage RT is usually very good at picking up.
"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard
 
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