In 2020, an estimated 375,304 people worldwide died from prostate cancer, making it the second leading cause of cancer death in men in the United States. Every year nearly 200,000 Americans are diagnosed with prostate cancer, making it the most commonly diagnosed cancer among the men in America. Early detection and successful imaging are very crucial for localization of the tumour, staging of the disease and detection of any recurrences. A potential biomarker of the disease is the prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) which is found in high levels on the surface of prostate cancer cells.
PSMA PET uses a radioactive tracer to locate and attach to PSMA proteins which makes them visible by PET imaging. So when this approach is used in conjunction with MRI or CT scans, it can visualize where prostate cancer cells reside. This technology got approval from FDA after it showed in its phase 3 trials, substantial increase in accuracy for detecting prostate cancer metastases compared to conventional imaging with bone and CT scans.
Source: pubmed
