Lutetium 177 Treatment in Germany Helped me Overcome Prostate Cancer!
Thanks to advancements in science and medicine, prostate cancer can now be defeated even in its late stages, even when metastases have spread.
At AiroMedical, we have gathered real stories from cancer patients and insights from doctors on how to combat the disease effectively. We want to share one prostate cancer story from one of our patients from the USA.
The patient's story in detail
Prostate cancer is believed to be one of the most effectively treatable oncological diseases today. But sometimes, the tumor literally "eats" into the body, and even two or three remaining cancer cells that "hid" from therapy can provoke a severe relapse.
It is what happened to our patient Mr. Ellis. He came to us at AiroMedical after fruitless attempts to cure prostate cancer of the fourth stage through hormonal therapy. It was essential for us to help the patient. And we have offered the most modern treatment for patients with metastatic cancer — radiopharmaceuticals. And more specifically, Lutetium-177.
In his home country (US), the patient was not selected for Lu177 treatment due to other criteria and protocols. Therefore, AiroMedical offered him treatment in Germany at Helios Hospital Berlin-Buch.
The diagnosis was made immediately after receiving the analysis data. The PSMA PET scan showed: a prostate lesion and metastases in bones and lymph nodes, - says the attending nuclear medicine specialist, Prof. Dr. Stefan Dresel.
Shortly about the prostate cancer therapy
Therapeutic radionuclides are produced in nuclear reactors, and they are targeted drugs. It means they can accurately target tumor cells without harming the surrounding healthy tissues.
The most "soft" radiopharmaceutical is based on Lutetium-177 with beta radiation. It also affects bone metastases and is successfully used in prostate cancer treatment.
"In treating prostate cancer, lutetium 177 is combined with a unique molecule — the PSMA receptor, - explains Stefan Dresel. - Normally, this receptor is present in small amounts in some body tissues, including the prostate gland. But with malignant tumors, the amount of this receptor increases significantly. And during treatment with the radiopharmaceutical lutetium-177, combined with PSMA-617 in pharmaceutical production conditions, the targeted effect begins. Simply put, this couple sees a target, a cancer cell, and acts specifically on it.
Mr. Ellis's final results
The number of sessions for treatment ranges from one to six. At the same time, the effectiveness of the method is very high. So, in the case of Mr. Ellis, after two procedures, a control PET scan showed a significant decrease in metastases. In the bones, they almost completely disappeared. We nearly defeated the tumor, and the patient began to come back to life."
We cited the unchanged feedback from Mr. Ellis
"Last Friday, I received the interpretation of the results from my local oncologist. I am waiting to receive the CD of the scan. The news was beyond my expectations. All evidence of the cancer is gone, and I have been declared "No Evidence of Disease." This is as Dr. Dresel had predicted after the second treatment, but I admit I was skeptical.
I cannot adequately express my appreciation to both of you and AiroMedical! I could not have undertaken this process without you. Please pass along my sincere thanks to Maria, my hardworking and patient interpreter. She was more than an interpreter, and I regard her as a dear friend. Also, please pass my profound thanks to the doctors at the clinic for their good humor and incredible medical skills. A special thanks to Head Nurse Pfeiffer for her care, friendliness, and skill in making the long isolation “sehr angenehm.”
The outcome for me has been nothing short of astonishing. I am receiving many inquiries as to how to access this treatment, and I am referring the inquiries to your website."
Video interview after the therapy
What side effects did our patient report?
Another big plus of treatment is a minimum of side effects. On the day of the session, the patient is recommended to drink as much water as possible (to minimize the load on the kidneys and accelerate the removal of radioactive particles), as well as to keep cold packs at the salivary glands for several hours after the session (there are also a lot of PSMA receptors there, and cold minimizes the accumulation of radioactivity).
The same happened to Mr. Ellis, who smoothly underwent both sessions without complications. It is also worth noting that our patient had neuropathy, so the therapy didn't harm even compromised cases.
"Our patient feels well for the first time in many years of treatment: he has good blood tests and feels well. There is a slight weakness after the sessions, but this is the easiest side effect compared to other treatment types, - says Stefan Dresel. - I know much research is being conducted to create other drugs based on radionuclides. And we, oncologists, believe that this treatment is the future of medicine."
How AiroMedical helped?
AiroMedical is a global online platform for booking medical and wellness programs. Our website provides search & booking services for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation in top healthcare countries such as Germany, Spain, Poland, Turkey, and more. You can easily browse and compare the options online and book a program that suits your needs.
We help our patients not only book, arrange, and prepare the required treatment but also get deeply involved in each case and explore available options regardless of the location. We believe that quality medicine should not be limited to certain healthcare providers and try to deliver the best and help to make an informed decision.
Thanks to our experienced team and newly integrated AI-powered systems, we can do deep research and development in our therapy database and select reliable doctors and clinics around the globe. That helps our patients look for and book complicated medical procedures in several clinics. Find more information about cancer prevention, diagnosis, and treatment on the AiroMedical portal.
