Providence Alaska Medical Center first in Alaska to offer breakthrough treatment for prostate cancer
Innovative new targeted therapy can identify and kill cells that express PSMA+, a prostate cancer biomarker
Pluvicto is a targeted therapy that identifies and kills cells that express Prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA+), a protein found in prostate cancer cells. The treatment is scheduled to begin at Providence Cancer Center in March.
"Pluvicto is one of the only treatments that improves overall survival in men with prostate cancer that has spread elsewhere in the body and is no longer responding to hormonal treatments,” said John Halligan, M.D., radiation oncologist and medical director of Radiation Oncology with Providence Cancer Center. “It has shown significant improvement in both the average length of survival and the number of men who are alive two years after starting Pluvicto versus our other best treatments. I am pleased that men will be able to receive this treatment here in Alaska now instead of having to travel to the lower 48 every six weeks to receive this care."
In contrast to traditional radiation or chemotherapy — which don’t have the ability to differentiate between healthy and cancerous cells — Pluvicto uses pinpoint precision to specifically target PSMA+ antibodies. Once it has been introduced into the bloodstream, it has the capability to locate and eliminate prostate cancer cells throughout the body. Pluvicto’s radioisotope attaches to these cancer cells and is absorbed, releasing radiation that destroys them.
According to the treatment website, the use of Pluvicto plus standard therapy resulted in 30% of men experiencing their tumors shrinking or disappearing, compared to 2% of men who were treated with standard therapy alone.
Before being offered at Providence Alaska Medical Center, patients could only receive this treatment by traveling to care centers in the Lower 48. Now Alaskans with prostate cancer can be cared for close to home and the support of family and friends.
“At Providence Alaska, we are dedicated to providing the best care possible in the communities we serve,” said Vicky Phillips, MSN, RN, NE-BC, senior director of Oncology & Digestive Health at Providence Alaska Medical Center. “Offering innovative new cancer treatments like Pluvicto reinforces our commitment to ensuring Alaskans can receive the kinds of world-class care available in other parts of the country.”
###
About Providence Alaska Medical Center
Providence Alaska Medical Center, a nationally recognized trauma center and Alaska’s only Magnet hospital, is part of Providence, a not-for-profit network of hospitals, care centers, health plans, physicians, clinics, home health services, affiliated services and educational facilities. For more information, visit providence.org/locations/ak/alaska-medical-center.
