Lutetium-177-PSMA-617: A Vision of the Future

In the last decade, many life-prolonging therapeutic options have emerged for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). The recent VISION trial is the first to demonstrate a survival benefit of Lutetium-177[(177)Lu]Lu-PSMA-617 in post-chemotherapy mCRPC. This journal club reviews the VISION trial in the context of the earlier TheraP trial of [(177)Lu]Lu-PSMA-617 in mCRPC post docetaxel and androgen pathway inhibition, to provide direction for the real-world application of [(177)Lu]Lu-PSMA-617. Treatment in the control groups differed significantly between both trials and may have influenced outcomes: TheraP mandated cabazitaxel whereas VISION’s design could not allow it. In both trials, [(177)Lu]Lu-PSMA-617 had a good safety profile, with common adverse events being fatigue, nausea, dry mouth, marrow suppression and diarrhea. Given its efficacy and favorable safety even in heavily pre-treated patients, [(177)Lu]Lu-PSMA-617 provides hope to mCRPC patients and may be applied to earlier disease stages in future investigations.