Ga-68-PSMA-11 PET/CT at UCLA

I know there is great interest in the new PSMA scans in the US. For any of you in Southern California (or if you want to travel here), UCLA is running a clinical trial of the Ga-68-PSMA PET/CT for any men with recurrent prostate cancer after failure of primary treatment. This may serve such purposes as:

• eliminating the need for salvage treatment when distant metastases are already evident
• identifying pelvic LN recurrence, where salvage treatment may still be curative
• to identify recurrence within the prostate for salvage treatment after primary radiation therapy
• to identify multiple distant metastatic disease that might benefit from early chemotherapy
• to determine whether mets have shrunk after systemic treatment

It is only for men who can document a biochemical recurrence:
• After primary RP: confirmed PSA ≥0.2 ng/ml
• After primary RT: PSA rise of at least 2 ng/ml over nadir

They will take men who have already had ADT or chemo, and they will take men in whom metastases have already been identified. (this is changed from what was posted on clinicaltrials.gov -NCT02940262)

The cost is $2,650. It is not covered by insurance or Medicare.

This is more accurate than the fluciclovine scan available at Cedars-Sinai, although that one may be covered by Medicare and some insurance because it is already FDA approved. (Always get pre-authorization!)

Here is contact info from their flyer:

The flyer said...
UCLA research study of 68Ga-PSMA-11 PET/CT for detection of recurrent prostate cancer

Dr. Johannes Czernin (UCLA Nuclear Medicine Clinic) is looking for men who have recurrent
prostate cancer. The purpose of this research study is to determine whether a PET/CT scan using a new tracer
called 68Ga-PSMA-11 can accurately show the location of the disease and to evaluate the impact of 68Ga-PSMA-11 PET/CT scans on the treatment management of patients with recurrent prostate cancer.

Research participants will be charged $2647.91 for the scan. If your treating physician decides that an additional scan is useful within the next 12 months, upon your agreement to undergo this second scan an additional $2647.91 will be charged. Participants of this research study will undergo one or two PET/CT scans. The scan will require approximately 3 hours including traveling time.

For detailed information, please contact:
Dr. Johannes Czernin @ (310) 206-3226, UCLA pager 15210

Similar scans are available at UCSF, Johns Hopkins, and probably several other major institutions. I'm told that the free NIH study is no longer accepting applicants. I hope others will post info on price and availability of new PET scans from around the US.

You must have really good insurance. Do you know what the cost would be if you had to pay out of pocket?

Very interesting.
I just did the C11 scan at Mayo.

Future scans for me will probably be the G68-PSMA. I know U. of Mich will be doing trials soon as they are arranging funding.

I always thought these trials were largely free to participants. I guess that's no longer the case? (Is it only NIH trials that are free?).

Mel

Mel,

NIH is your government, so they never charge for any clinical trials there - in fact, they pay for travel and accommodations too. Private institutions must pay the cost of these very expensive PET indicators as well as for the PET/CT, and they pass the cost along. Bobby Mac has some very good insurance - most will not cover it.

Clinical trials for diagnostic tests and non-medicinal treatments (e.g., surgery or radiation) are handled differently from trials of medicines. The ACA dictates that insurance must cover all costs for medicinal treatments, if drug manufacturers are not covering it already.

We too here in queensland have this machine in several Brisbane centres. We were told that costs are not yet insured and we paid $700 aud for the scan. However, as we have been covered for nearly everything else for pr. Ca cer, skin ca cer and open heart surgery, we do not feel it is too expensive at this stage. All other scans, xrays, etc have been free.

Hi chas... what is tne name of the trial at peter mccallum centre? I would like to look it up re criteria etc. Cheers

Yaamba, found it......but it's not Galium, it is Lutetium-177

http://www.australiancancertrials.gov.au/search-clinical-trials/search-results/clinical-trials-details.aspx?Trialid=368970&ds=1

Chas

PS - Tall Allen reported on a small study in Germany using Lutetium

https://prostatecancerinfolink.net/2016/04/26/lutetium-177-linked-to-psma-an-update/

(Sorry - had trouble making the links live)

Post Edited (Chask) : 10/25/2016 4:42:58 AM (GMT-6)

For those that aren't close to these or the expense is too much, it's been my experience that the f18 Sodium Floride Pet/CT scans are available in a lot of places throughout the country and generally approved (with some fighting with insurance companies.)

I am looking to get a PSMA scan somewhere in North America. Im based in NYC if anyone knows anywhere on East Coast. Please msg me - dlow AT goodmedia dot c0m

Would like to know why
"This is more accurate than the fluciclovine scan available at Cedars-Sinai"

Thanks !
___________________________________
Dx at age 53, Aug 2015 Gleason 8, PSA 9.6

I'm guessing, but TA might be talking about saving men the ordeal of initial treatment of RT or surgery when the cancer has already has metastasized outside the local or regional pelvic area.

Bobby Mac

Redwing,

"High risk" means patients newly diagnosed with GS 8-10 or PSA>20 or T3/4

Yup, that's what I meant.

Before you shell out a lot of money... a few things to consider:
• The UCLA study is for recurrent PC - and the PSA must be above 0.2 after RP or 2.0 after RT. Call them to see if Paul qualifies.
• Paul's PSA is only 0.36 which is too low to show anything on any kind of scan
• Paul may have a kind of PC that doesn't show up on conventional scans like a PSMA PET scan.
• Emory is where the fluciclovine (Axumin) PET scan was developed, and they still offer it there (David Schuster).
• Fluciclovine is FDA approved, so insurance may cover it. But again, his PSA is too low.
• What will you do differently if they see mets or if they don't?