Could 68-Ga PSMA PET/CT become a new tool in the decision-making strategy of prostate cancer patients with biochemical recurrence of PSA after radical prostatectomy? A preliminary, monocentric series.

AIM: To evaluate the impact of gallium68 PSMA-11 (HBED-CC)-PET/CT on decision-making strategy of patients with relapsing prostate cancer (PC) presenting a second biochemical relapse after radical prostatectomy (RP) and salvage RT or salvage androgen deprivation therapy (ADT).

MATERIALS AND METHODS: 40 patients were retrospectively analyzed. All of them had received prostatectomy. Thirteen out of 40 were addressed to gallium68 PSMA-11 (HBED-CC)-PET/CT for a biochemical relapse after RP, 14/40 after a salvage RT and 13/40 after salvage or adjuvant ADT. The PSA level ranged between 0.1 and 1.62 ng/ml (median value: 0.51 ng/ml). We studied the impact on the decision-making process of a multidisciplinary tumor board of additional data obtained from gallium68 PSMA-11 (HBED-CC)-PET/CT.

RESULTS: Thirty-one out of 40 evaluated patients showed positive findings at gallium68 PSMA-11 (HBED-CC)-PET/CT (77.5%). Of them, five were positive in the prostatic bed, nine in the pelvic nodes, twelve in nodes outside the pelvis and eight at bone level. Nine patients presented two different sites of relapse (22.5%). Gallium68 PSMA-11 (HBED-CC)-PET/CT data changed the therapeutic approach in 28 patients (70%).

CONCLUSIONS: Gallium68 PSMA-11 (HBED-CC)-PET/CT can be a useful tool in the restaging of post-RP, RT or ADT patients presenting biochemical relapse of PC and it could change the decision-making process in up of 70% of these patients. Prospective, larger series are needed to establish the correct role of this very promising tool in the staging and therapeutic approach of PC patients.