The international phase III clinical trial, called PSMAddition and published in the scientific journal The Lancet, has shown that adding an innovative treatment based on the radioligand Lutetium-177 (Lu-PSMA) to standard hormonal treatment reduces the risk of tumor progression by 28%.
This type of therapy would act in a targeted manner on tumour cells, which would allow the cancer to be attacked more precisely, significantly improving progression-free survival in metastatic prostate cancer. The good results consolidate this strategy as a new therapeutic option in the early stages of metastasis.
Outcomes that can consolidate a change in established treatment
The study, which involved 1,144 patients from hospitals in 20 countries, confirms the potential of this drug combination to improve disease control in the early stages of metastasis. In addition to the impact on progression-free survival, the researchers observed a higher proportion of profound prostate-specific antigen (PSA) responses and a delay in progression to castration-resistant prostate cancer, one of the worst prognostic phases of the disease.
In terms of safety, combination therapy was associated with an increase in mild and moderate adverse effects, mainly dry mouth and haematological alterations. However, the researchers did not detect new signs of toxicity or unexpected safety concerns.
Josep Maria Piulats, medical oncologist specialising in prostate cancer at ICO l’Hospitalet, head of the Cancer immunotherapy group at IDIBELL and one of the authors of the study, highlights that “these results confirm the clinical value of incorporating therapies directed against PSMA in the early stages of the disease and reinforce the role of translational research to introduce new therapeutic strategies into clinical practice“. In addition, he adds that “the association of Lu-PSMA with hormone therapy offers a clear benefit in the control of tumour progression and reinforces the potential of this strategy as a future therapeutic standard”.
A therapeutic option that could also improve survival
Although definitive data on overall survival are not yet available, mainly because the follow-up time of the study is still relatively short, the researchers point out that a favorable trend in this indicator has already been identified. In this context, the magnitude of the benefit observed in progression-free survival and tumor response is a very relevant clinical signal. Thus, the results of the PSMAddition study could mark a turning point in the treatment of metastatic prostate cancer and open the door to new therapeutic combinations based on targeted mechanisms of action.
In addition, the study reinforces the role of translational biomedical research, in direct contact with the clinic, and clinical trials such as PSMAddition, in the development of new strategies against cancer. In this context, the joint participation of clinical professionals and researchers within the ecosystem of the Bellvitge Health Campus, accredited as a Comprehensive Cancer Center, is essential to continue strengthening a model of cancer care that integrates research, care and innovation to offer the best possible service to almost two million people.
The Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL) is a research centre created in 2004 specialising in cancer, neurosciences, translational medicine and regenerative medicine. It has a team of more than 1,500 professionals who, from 73 research groups, publish more than 1,400 scientific articles a year. IDIBELL has the support of the Bellvitge University Hospital and the Viladecáns Hospital of the Catalan Institute of Health, the Catallán Institute of Oncology, the University of Barcelona and the City Council of L’Hospitalet de Llobregat.
IDIBELL is a member of the Campus of International Excellence of the HUBc of the University of Barcelona and of the CERCA institution of the Generalitat de Catalunya. In 2009 it became one of the first five Spanish research centers accredited as a health research institute by the Carlos III Health Institute. In addition, it is part of the Excellence in HR Research program of the European Union and is a member of EATRIS and REGIC. Since 2018, IDIBELL has been an Accredited Center of the AECC Scientific Foundation (FCAECC).