Lutetium treatment is applied with PSMA support, especially in prostate cancer treatments. After cancer has spread to other body parts, metastasis continues if no response is received after hormone therapy. Hormone therapy and chemotherapy applications often affect success. If the disease is resistant to hormone and chemotherapy applications, strong painkillers are used. The new treatment application, lutetium, is applied to relieve pain and support treatment in case of resistance to the disease.
Lutetium treatment, which is effective on prostate cancer cells by being performed in nuclear medicine, aims to stop the spread of the disease by destroying cancer cells. In the process performed with the use of special radioactive, it is treated by reaching the cancerous cells in organs such as bones, lymph nodes, and lungs where cancer has spread.
What Does Luthetium Do?
In answering the question of what is lutetium, it would be correct to say that it is a treatment method that provides both a quality life and an increase in life expectancy in cancer patients with advanced stages. Lutetium manages to destroy cancerous cells by penetrating them. The treatment that reaches only cancerous cells provides an advantage in terms of the progression of the disease, as it does not affect healthy cells.
What Are The Benefits Of Lutetium Treatment?
Severe pain is also seen in advanced prostate cancers due to metastasis. It is known that lutetium treatment causes a decrease in these pains. It has been observed that the life expectancy of patients with advanced-stage cancer is increased, as well as an increase in their quality of life.
Side Effects Of Lutetium Treatment
Among the conditions that can be experienced after the lutetium treatment application, there are no symptoms of hair loss or nausea, which are the side effects of chemotherapy treatment.
If the prostate cancer spreads to the bones, a decrease in blood values may occur after lutetium treatment. Although it is not seen in all patients, some patients may experience a decrease in kidney function. Dry mouth and eyes are also among the side effects that can be seen in patients.
Before starting the treatment, tests are done to determine the side effects that may be seen in the patient. In order to minimize the side effects, it is ensured that a treatment plan is created specifically for each patient.
How Many Cures Of Lutetium Treatment Are Applied?
Thanks to lutetium treatment studies, it is possible to achieve desired results in advanced prostate cancers. In the application of the treatment, the sessions are done at intervals of 2-4 months. In the treatment applied as 4 cures, some patients have a decrease in the number of cures and an increase in others. The time between the cures differs according to the patients. While planning the application of lutetium treatment, the nuclear medicine physician reaches clear decisions by looking at the intervals and dose of the treatment, as well as the values before and after the application.
What Should Be Done After Lutetium 177 Treatment?
Lutetium 177 treatment is a radionuclide treatment that destroys cancerous cells. Following the implementation of the treatment, the patients are requested to have blood tests done after the time specified by the Nuclear Medicine Physician. This period, which is determined by the evaluation of the patient by the Nuclear Medicine Physician, differs for each patient.
The period specified by the physician varies for each patient but is between 2 and 4 weeks. The blood tests to be performed are examined in detail by the Nuclear Medicine Physician and the results are evaluated.
How Is Lutetium Treatment Applied?
For the administration of lutetium treatment, the patient is admitted to the hospital on the morning of the appointment day. After the completion of the procedures, the radioactive material to be applied in the treatment is synthesized in the Department of Nuclear Medicine. The administration of the treatment to the patient is through the vein. Intravenous administration of the drug to the patient is completed within a day. After the application of lutetium treatment, the patient’s controls are made. In general, the discharge process is carried out on the same day.