Lutetium-177 PSMA is a new type of cancer treatment for advanced prostate cancer. By precisely seeking out and destroying cancer cells, it reduces damage to your healthy cells so you can recover faster.
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Lutetium-177 PSMA for advanced prostate cancer
Also known as: PSMA therapy, chemotherapy alternative for prostate cancer
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What is it for?
Treating advanced prostate cancer
Lutetium-177 PSMA for advanced prostate cancer consultation at The London Clinic
Advanced prostate cancer (metastatic prostate cancer) is a cancer that spreads from the prostate to other parts of the body, and most commonly the bones.
Lutetium-177 PSMA is an innovative new treatment that involves a special radioactive medication being injected into your bloodstream.
Inside your body, the medication seeks out prostate cancer cells and tightly attaches to them. It then precisely delivers a high dose of radiation to destroy the cancer cells.
Usually, most people have four treatments with lutetium-177 PSMA, with three-month breaks between each treatment.
At The London Clinic, your treatment with lutetium-177 PSMA will be overseen by world-leading nuclear medicine and oncology consultants.
Your consultant may recommend lutetium-177 PSMA to you if:
- You’ve already had chemotherapy, or are unable to do so
- You’ve already received a new hormonal therapy such as enzalutamide or abiraterone
Lutetium-177 PSMA is one of several treatment options we offer for advanced prostate cancer.
Your consultant may also recommend one or more of the following treatments, depending on your age, general health and the stage or grade of your prostate cancer.
- Chemotherapy
- External beam radiotherapy (EBRT)
- Hormone therapy
FAQs
Prostate cancer cells feature substances that your doctors may refer to as markers.
One such marker is a type of protein called PSMA (prostate-specific membrane antigen).
When lutetium-177 is injected into your bloodstream, it specifically seeks out cells that feature PSMA and tightly sticks to them.
The damaging radiation in lutetium-177 then kills the prostate cancer cells over time, while causing minimal damage to healthy cells nearby.
Many people treated with lutetium-177 PSMA therapy have a positive response to it, for example, the signs and symptoms of your cancer may be reduced.
However, because PSMA is a new treatment, we’re still learning about all the benefits it offers.
The most common side effect of PSMA therapy is a dry mouth and dry eyes, and mild lethargy (lack of energy).
Sometimes, you may experience nausea or vomiting as a side effect.
Most of these side effects only last for a short time and are usually gone after a few days.
If you had extensive cancer in your bones when you were treated, the amount of marrow in your bones may be reduced.
This may mean you need a blood transfusion to help you recover.
Consultants
We offer Fixed Price Packages
Where possible, we’ll provide a fixed-price package for your hospital care. This covers your hospital stay, nursing, and use of our facilities, giving you a clear guide to what those costs will be.
- Pre-op assessment
- Hospital stay, nursing care and meals
- Tests, scans and physio during your stay
- Take-home medication (up to 5 days)
- Post-op follow-up appointments
- Standard equipment or prosthesis (if needed)
- Unplanned extended stay or ITU (if clinically required)
- Initial consultation and any tests done during it
- Consultant and anaesthetist fees (quoted separately)
- Physio or therapy before or after your stay
- Diagnostics before admission (unless agreed in your plan)
- Specialist medication beyond 5 days
- Ambulance transport or bespoke prosthetics
Your consultant’s fees are quoted separately and shared directly by their office after your consultation. These professional fees cover the time, expertise, and care provided by your consultant before, during, and after your treatment. See our full terms and conditions
Timeline
We aim to get you treated without delay and back to your normal life as quickly as possible. Typically, this involves the following steps:
Book an appointment
Our dedicated appointments team will arrange for you to meet with one of our renowned consultants.
Diagnosis and treatment plan
At your appointment, your consultant will review your medical history and current health. They’ll discuss the benefits and side effects of lutetium-177 PSMA therapy with you too.
The day of your treatment
Your care team will welcome you, talk you through the day ahead and get you ready for your treatment.
You’ll receive your lutetium-177 PSMA therapy and remain in your room for the day, where you’ll be made as comfortable as possible.
Aftercare
After your treatment, your consultant will find out how you’re feeling and discuss your recovery plan.
You'll stay at The London Clinic until you've recovered well from your treatment. We’ll also give you advice about radiation safety and possible side effects.
Follow-up
Your consultant will have follow-up appointments with you to check everything is going as expected and you're recovering well.
At these meetings, you’ll also have time to ask any questions or speak about any concerns.
Why choose The London Clinic?
Trusted for over 90 years, The London Clinic is an independent charitable hospital that reinvests into care, research, and support for those who can’t easily access private treatment.
The UK’s largest independent hospital
More patients choose The London Clinic than any other.
Top-rated by real patients
4.86/5 from over 1,600 reviews on Doctify and over 4.5 on Google.
Full intensive care on-site
World-class 13-bed ICU for expert support if your care becomes complex.
Investing in clinical excellence
Backed by Northwestern, we equip our teams with cutting-edge medical equipment.
0% Finance Options
We’ve teamed up with Chrysalis to offer you funding options that allow you to spread the cost of your treatment.
If you choose to pay for your treatment at The London Clinic over 12 months, you can make use of a great 0% interest option and pay nothing extra. Or you can choose to pay over two to five years at 14.9% APR.
Trustees of the London Clinic Ltd trading as The London Clinic is an Appointed Representative of Chrysalis Finance Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. The London Clinic is a credit broker, not a lender. The provider of a payment scheme which is not offered through or by Chrysalis Finance Limited may not be so authorised and regulated. Cancer treatments or transplants aren’t covered by finance packages. Finance options are only available for UK patients.