Radiopharmaceuticals in Prostate Cancer: General Considerations and Utility in Combination With EBRT

Abstract

The management of prostate cancer has posed challenges for clinicians in determining optimal treatment strategies. Over the years, various radiopharmaceuticals have been utilized for both the diagnosis and treatment of the prostate cancer. Recent advancements in prostate specific membrane antigen (PSMA) based imaging have enabled the early and precise detection of local recurrence, lymph nodes or distant metastases, resulting a paradigm shift, which significantly influenced clinical decision making. Moreover, PSMA targeted treatments, as a part of theranostic approach, have introduced novel treatment options for patients with castration resistant metastatic prostate cancer, who were previously limited to palliative treatment alternatives. The clinical integration of PSMA based imaging and treatment has led to the commencement of collaborative studies across multiple disciplines including radiation oncology. Radiopharmaceuticals led by PSMA have the potential to facilitate accurate treatment decision making through earlier and more precise lesion detection, as well as improve patient outcomes when combined with radiotherapy. We aimed to review the role of radiopharmaceuticals in diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer, focusing on their utility in guiding radiotherapy and the potential benefits of combining these radiopharmaceuticals with radiotherapy.