History was made in September when an 80-year-old man with prostate cancer became the first patient to use a novel drug to fight cancer.
The drug, Pluvicto (lutetium Lu 177 vipivotide tetraxetan), uses target radiation to kill cancer cells as it runs through the body.
Meet Jim Duvall
Jim Duvall served in the U.S. Army, went to college, and then went to work. His prostate cancer diagnosis came in 2004 when he was at the height of his business career. Duvall had the surgery, which is the standard
medical protocol.
Tests three years later showed the cancer had spread to his bones. He took both radiation and chemotherapy. At 80 years old, Duvall recently changed his medical care to UC San Diego Health where he became the first on the list for the new treatment.
About Pluvicto
Pluvicto received FDA approval to be used on humans, even those with advanced cancer. It is what is called a radiation pharmaceutical. That means it’s a drug that uses radiation to kill cancer cells once it’s in the body.
The drug is either injected into the body or put in by infusion. It moves through the body and hits cancer cells that have a PSMA biomarker. This is a protein found on most prostate cancer cells It then unleashes its
radiation to kill those specific cells.
The best targets for the drug are PSMA positive, progression, metastatic, castration-resistent prostate cancer. In other words, it can stop cancer that is spread and hasn’t been able to be killed or controlled in other ways.
The treatment
Duvall started the new therapy treatment in early September. He will need six doses to review its total
effectiveness. Each dose is set six weeks apart.
Duvall is living a quality life during his treatment, and that includes walking four to five days a week. He is doing well and remaining active, according to his doctors.
Conclusion
Those with prostate cancer have new hope in this treatment. It can offer an alternative to heavy treatments like radiation and chemotherapy that makes life miserable while you’re doing them. It is promising that it can treat aggressive cancer and still allow men to live a quality life during the fight.
