I am very new to this type of conversation, but I think it might be helpful to others to hear of my experience with prostate cancer.
I am the first patient to have been treated with Lu-177-PSMA therapy in the UK.
It is provided by GenesisCare in Windsor. They call it Theranostics
Having been diagnosed in 2012 at the age of 71 with metastatic disease in the bones. Since then I have been going through the prescribed path of treatment, first Hormonal by my Urologist which lasted for about two years. Since PSA levels started rising I was referred to an Oncologist which put me on a course of Enzalutamide which was also successful for about two years. When PSA levels increased again chemotherapy was recommended. I was given nine cycles of docetaxel which made me quite ill, loosing hair and taste. Blood tests three month later already showed an increase of PSA by 8%, three month after that PSA levels accumulated rapidly.
Having been a good responder with all the previous treatments, I expected to have more than six month respite. This left me very depressed.
My Oncologist told me then about Lu-177-PSMA treatment and recommended it as an option. At that time it was only available in Germany, Norway and Australia. It was also muted that this treatment might become available in the near future in the UK.
At this time I started researching and looked at some forums to find out what and where Lu-177-PSMA treatments were available. Having contacted some clinics in Germany, I soon came to the conclusion that these treatments were manly geared for Health Tourism.
In the meantime, from November 2018 I was treated with further chemotherapy with cabazitaxel. After four cycles this was stopped in February of this year, as choline pet scans showed new tumours developing.
My Oncologist then informed me that the Theranostics treatment would soon be available and referred me to Dr. Yong Du at GenesisCare in Windsor. There I had a PSMA pet/ct scan that showed up disease, which meant that I could have the treatment. At the end of May this year I was the first patient to undergo this treatment in the UK. About four cycles are recommended and I am looking forward to my second cycle in a few weeks. I suffer from no side effect whatsoever, and apart from being radioactive for a week, I would not even know that I am having any treatment.
The treatment takes about 3 hours consisting of being infused with Lu177, it is painless and one can go home straight after. Not only is this treatment fast and simple and one does not have the additional cost of going abroad and having to stay in hospital for the treatment.
I thought it helpful to spread the good news to other sufferers who are at the last stages of this disease. Whilst it is still not a cure but palliative and hopefully will give patients long respite and quality of life. Great advances are being made in the treatment of Prostate Cancer and this is surely great NEWS.
Please use the link and look at the video.
GOOD LUCK
https://www.genesiscare.com/uk/treatment/cancer/theranostics