A new imaging process has recently been
approved by the Food and Drug Administration which may help doctors more
accurately diagnose and stage prostate cancer. The imaging process,ProstaScint,
was developed by Cytogen Corp. The process has been tested as a diagnostic tool
for prostate cancer in Phase I, II, and III clinical trials with promising
results. The Prostascint process may benefit two types of prostate cancer
patients One is the newly diagnosed patient with cancer that appears to be
contained in the prostate, but who is at high risk for the spread of the disease
to the nearby pelvic lymph nodes. The other is the patient who has had his
prostate surgically removed (prostatectomy), but whose rising PSA makes
undetected cancer recurrence highly suspect. Prostascint can help the doctor
pinpoint with imaging rather than surgical exploration, lymph nodes that may
have become cancerous. The suspect nodes can then be dissected to check for
cancer metastasis or spread.
Other imaging processes in use currently as diagnostic tools for the spread
of prostate cancer are computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging
(MRI). Results of clinical trials appear to indicate that the ProstaScint
process may be significantly better at helping determine to what extent the
disease has spread.
Accurate diagnosis and staging of prostate cancer is critical to making
decisions as to the most effective and least invasive treatment. ProstaScint is
administered intravenously. It involves the injection of a monoclonal antibody
into the blood stream that circulates throughout the body. The antibody is
designed to attach to substances (antigens) on the surface of prostate cancer
cells (and some normal prostate cells, as well). A scanner is then able to
detect the location of the antibodies. For more information on Prostascint,
contact Cytogen's hotline
at 1-800-833-3533, and select option 4.
