PET-Based Outcome Prediction in Patients with Prostate Cancer Scheduled for [225Ac]Ac-PSMA Radiopharmaceutical Therapy

Research output: Contribution to journal › Research article › Contributed › peer-review

Contributors

  • Liam Widjaja - , Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Bavarian Center for Cancer Research (BZKF) (Author)
  • Sophie C. Siegmund - , Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Bavarian Center for Cancer Research (BZKF) (Author)
  • Franz J. Gildehaus - , Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (Author)
  • Astrid Delker - , Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (Author)
  • Nina Sophie Schmidt-Hegemann - , Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (Author)
  • Martin G. Pomper - , University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (Author)
  • Steven P. Rowe - , University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (Author)
  • Ralph A. Bundschuh - , Department of Nuclear Medicine, National Center for Tumor Diseases Dresden, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus Dresden, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), German Cancer Consortium (DKTK) Partner Site Dresden (Author)
  • Vera Wenter - , Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (Author)
  • Gabriel T. Sheikh - , Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (Author)
  • Konrad Klimek - , Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (Author)
  • Jozefina Casuscelli - , Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (Author)
  • Christian Stief - , Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (Author)
  • Mathias J. Zacherl - , Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (Author)
  • Rudolf A. Werner - , Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (Author)

Abstract

225Ac-labeled prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) radiopharmaceutical therapy (RPT) has emerged as a promising treatment option in advanced metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. We aimed to identify predictors for outcome including established clinical and PSMA-directed imaging parameters at baseline. Methods: Twenty-six patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer who were receiving [225Ac]Ac-PSMA-I&T RPT were included in this retrospective monocentric study. In each patient, all metastases on pretherapeutic [18F]F-PSMA-1007 PET/CT were segmented, enabling assessment of averaged SUVmax, SUVmean, as well as summed PSMA tumor volume (PSMA-TV) and PSMA-total lesion quotient (PSMA-TLQ; defined as PSMA-TV divided by SUVmean). PET parameters were then correlated with the relative prostate-specific antigen (PSA) change after 2 cycles of [225Ac]Ac-PSMA-I&T RPT. In addition, the predictive values for early progressive disease (PD; defined as a PSA increase of more than 25% or PD according to RECIP 1.0) after 2 cycles, progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS) were explored. Results: SUVmax (r 5 20.42, P 5 0.031) and SUVmean (r 5 20.4, P 5 0.046) correlated significantly with PSA change after 2 cycles, but PSMA-TV (P 5 0.51) and PSMA-TLQ (P 5 0.83) did not. Eleven patients (42%) demonstrated early PD. SUVmax (odds ratio, 0.769; P 5 0.032) and SUVmean (odds ratio, 0.427; P 5 0.041) were predictive for early PD. SUVmean emerged as the strongest predictor for prolonged PFS (hazard ratio [HR], 0.501; P 5 0.006) with SUVmax also trending toward significance (HR, 0.914; P 5 0.054). Patients with a high SUVmean achieved a longer median PFS of 134 d compared with 39 d in patients with low SUVmean (HR, 0.369; P 5 0.041). PSMA-TLQ (HR, 1.007; P 5 0.027) and PSMA-TV (HR, 1.001; P 5 0.037) were predictive for OS. Patients with a low PSMA-TLQ (reflecting low PSMA-TV in combination with high SUVmean) achieved a longer median OS of 375 d compared with 148 d in patients with high PSMA-TLQ (HR, 2.84; P 5 0.043). Conclusion: In patients scheduled for [225Ac]Ac-PSMA-I&T RPT, SUVmean on pretherapeutic [18F]F-PSMA-1007 PET/CT is predictive for early treatment response by identifying individuals prone to early PD and shorter PFS. In addition, PSMA-TLQ is associated with OS. As such, pretherapeutic PSMA PET–based quantification may optimize patient selection for targeted a-RPT.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)568-575
Number of pages8
JournalJournal of Nuclear Medicine
Volume67
Issue number4
Publication statusPublished - Apr 2026
Peer-reviewedYes

External IDs

PubMed 41611481

Keywords

Sustainable Development Goals

Keywords

  • prostate carcinoma, PSMA, PSMA PET, radiopharmaceutical therapy, [Ac]Ac-PSMA RPT