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AUA: Imaging Agent, ProstaScint (Capromab Penetidine), Identifies Recurrent Prostate Cancer Earlier ANAHEIM, CA -- June 5, 2001 -- According to a new study conducted by scientists at Duke University and Johns Hopkins medical centers, the use of an innovative prostate cancer diagnostic imaging agent may significantly improve a doctor's ability to detect the location and extent of recurrent cancer in patients who have previously had their prostates removed. The findings were announced today at the annual meeting of the American Urological Association in Anaheim, California. For patients who have had a radical prostatectomy, a procedure in which the entire prostate gland and some surrounding tissue is surgically removed, researchers found that the use of the radiolabeled imaging agent ProstaScint® (capromab pendetide) makes it possible to identify the existence and location of recurrent prostate cancer earlier than with previously available imaging methods. A radical prostatectomy is most often used to treat localized disease (prostate cancer confined to the gland). According to the American Cancer Society, nearly 40 percent of men with prostate cancer have local recurrence of the disease after surgery, and approximately 11 percent are at high risk for metastatic spread of the disease. This multicenter study involved 255 men, who, after undergoing a radical prostatectomy, received no additional therapy and subsequently had an increase in the level of PSA (prostate-specific antigen) in their blood as the only indication that their cancer had recurred. These patients, whose PSA levels ranged from 0.1-4.0 ng/mL, were then given a ProstaScint scan to localize their disease. The ProstaScint scan identified recurrent disease in 72 percent of patients with serum PSA less than or equal to 4.0 ng/mL. Of 151 patients who also underwent additional imaging studies, bone and/or CT (computed tomography) scans identified recurrence in 12 percent (16/139) and 16 percent (15/92) of patients, respectively. "In order for conventional imaging modalities such as a CT scan to detect a site of recurrence, a significant volume of prostate cancer must effect changes to normal anatomic structures. Often the recurrent disease is advanced prior to detection on a bone or CT scan. This study suggests that a ProstaScint scan may detect and localize recurrent prostate cancer earlier than previously thought possible for patients with a low serum PSA after radical prostatectomy," said Ganesh V. Raj, M.D., Ph.D., the lead author on the study from the Division of Urology, Duke University Medical Center. ProstaScint is a radiolabeled monoclonal antibody that specifically targets PSMA (prostate specific membrane antigen), a highly expressed marker found on prostate cancer cells. During a ProstaScint imaging procedure, the radiolabeled monoclonal antibody is administered intravenously into the patient, travels through the bloodstream and binds to prostate cancer cells. A gamma camera detects the radioactive isotope that has been attached to the antibody, identifying the specific sites of cancer. "A better understanding of the location and extent of disease may help to determine the most appropriate course of therapy for recurrent prostate cancer and could potentially spare certain patients from the side effects associated with unnecessary treatments," added Thomas J. Polascik, M.D., Division of Urology at Duke University Medical Center. Approximately one in every six men will develop prostate cancer. It is the second leading cause of cancer death among men in the United States, exceeded only by lung cancer. The American Cancer Society estimates that approximately 198,100 new cases of prostate cancer will be diagnosed this year in the U.S., and that 31,500 men will die of this disease. SOURCE: Cytogen Corporation E-mail this page to a friend or colleague! To print, use this version