WINDSOR, England--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The first patients in the UK have now received an innovative theranostics treatment for advanced prostate cancer at GenesisCare, giving new hope for men who have exhausted other treatment options. The UK’s largest private cancer care provider, GenesisCare, announced today that the service is now available at its centre in Windsor for the first time in the UK.
Theranostics is a highly personalised approach to cancer medicine that combines two techniques in one: diagnostic (imaging) and therapy. The diagnostic approach uses a radioactive tracer that is specific to receptors found on the surface of cancer cells.1 The therapy (177Lutetium PSMA) is equally specific and targets the same protein receptors on the prostate cancer cells. The radioactive tracer acts like a ‘smart homing missile’ to locate and destroy cancer cells. The targeted therapy limits damage to surrounding normal cells, to minimise potential side effects and improve a patient’s quality of life.2
“Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men, yet treatment options which extend survival and provide hope for a good quality of life remain limited in late stage disease,” said Dr Yong Du, UK Clinical Director – Theranostics at GenesisCare. “While not a complete cure, theranostics can enable suitable patients a good quality of life, for longer, and I am proud to be part of bringing this new and highly innovative technique to the UK – something that patients in Germany and Australia have been able to access for a number of years already.”
Theranostics can be used to treat areas where cancer has spread, or if cancer is advanced and has not responded to other treatments. There are limited options for patients with late-stage prostate cancer, with many men having exhausted their treatment options or are left unable to tolerate current treatments.
“Prostate cancer in its late stages remains a leading cause of death in men,3” said Dr Richard Shaffer, Clinical Oncologist at GenesisCare. “Innovative, accessible options that improve quality of life, such as theranostics, are required in advanced prostate cancer and I hope to see greater access to these kinds of cutting-edge treatments.”
“GenesisCare aims to provide the best possible outcomes for our patients. The introduction of the first clinically available theranostics programme in the UK reinforces our commitment, and furthers our goal of bringing innovative, holistic solutions to cancer patients in the UK,” said Emma Spellman, Head of Theranostics and Imaging at GenesisCare UK.
The GenesisCare centre in Windsor is now offering theranostics for advanced prostate cancer and all neuroendocrine tumours, including head and neck cancers and gastrointestinal cancers, with the first four patients in the UK now treated. For further information, please visit www.genesiscare.com/uk
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NOTES TO EDITORS
About prostate cancer
Prostate cancer is the most common
cancer among men and is a leading cause of cancer-related death. In
2018, more than 449,000 cases of prostate cancer were reported in
Europe. It is the third leading cause of cancer-related death among men
in Europe, with more than 107,000 men dying from prostate cancer in 2018.4
About theranostics
Theranostics, also known as radionuclide
targeted radiation, is a highly personalised form of cancer therapy. It
is an innovative field of medicine, with a focus on customising
treatment specifically to the patient by combining therapeutics and
diagnostics. Rather than a one size fits all model, theranostics is
based on offering the right treatment for each patient, at the right
time.
Theranostics can be used for numerous types of cancer and has most successfully been used for metastatic prostate cancer and for neuroendocrine cancers (which can arise in several organs). Access to theranostics is very limited globally and is now clinically available for the first time in the UK. GenesisCare also offers the service at three locations in Australia.
About GenesisCare
GenesisCare delivers holistic oncology
care at 12 specialist treatment centres in the UK, spanning
radiotherapy, medical oncology, diagnostics, wellness services and now
theranostics. It is the largest provider of private cancer care services
in the UK. Over the next two years, GenesisCare plans to open five new
centres in the country, to increase patient access to world-class care
when and where it’s needed. Treatment in the UK is currently delivered
in Birmingham, Chelmsford, Elstree, Guildford, Maidstone, Milton Keynes,
Newmarket, Nottingham, Oxford, Portsmouth, Southampton and Windsor.
Internationally, GenesisCare’s clinical teams see more than 160,000 people at more than 130 locations. The organisation employs more than 2,500 highly trained healthcare professionals and support staff across Australia, Europe and now China, including some of the world’s most experienced specialists. For cancer treatment, that includes 33 centres in the UK and Spain, and 30 in Australia, with more than 25 new centres under development across the network.
References
1 Herrmann K et al. 68Ga-PSMA PET/CT: Joint EANM and SNMMI procedure guideline for prostate cancer imaging: version 1.0. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging. 2017. 44(6):1014-1024. doi: 10.1007/s00259-017-3670-z.
2 Hofman MS et al. [¹⁷⁷Lu]-PSMA-617 radionuclide treatment in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (LuPSMA trial): a single-centre, single-arm, phase 2 study. Lancet Oncol 2018; 19: 825–33.
3 Cancer Research UK. Prostate Cancer mortality statistics. Available at: https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/health-professional/cancer-statistics/statistics-by-cancer-type/prostate-cancer/mortality#heading-Three Last accessed April 2019.
4 GLOBOCAN 2018 WHO Europe Region Analysis. Available at: http://gco.iarc.fr/today. Last accessed April 2019.
