Article using radioactive Atoms

[Chubby42]

Hi all not sure if this has been posted yet but this article from Perth Australia mentions a trial using radioactive atoms to target affected spots where the cancer shows up.

[AlanMeyer]

I believe that research on approaches like this have been underway for ten years or more. The idea is 1) produce a molecule (an antibody) that preferentially binds to something on the surface of cancer cells (an antigen), not found on other cells and 2) attach something to that molecule that will damage or kill the cells that it binds to.

The two major approaches to number 2 that I've read about are a) bind a radioactive molecule to the antibody or b) bind a poison molecule of some kind to the antibody. Theoretically, with either approach, doses that would kill a person if delivered to the body as a whole can be delivered to the cancer with minimal side effects.

To make it work, the scientists must find a molecule on the surface of the cancer cells (the antigen) that isn't found on any other cells, and then create an antibody that binds to it, and only to it. For prostate cancer this may be a bit easier than for say lung, brain, or liver cancer because men can live without a prostate, so it may only be necessary to find a molecule on the surface of all prostate cells that's not found on other cells. Either way it's difficult, exacting, submicroscopic work. How do you get the radiation or the poison to not do any harm until the antibody finds a target? How do you get the dose right so that you don't have unattached radiation or poison molecules running around in the blood stream? How do you keep the radiation or the poison from damaging tissue on the way to the tumor, or around the tumor? What if resistance develops, for example the evolution of cancer cells that don't have the antigen on their surface? My hat is off to the men and women who do this work.

I think it's going to take a while to make these therapies work but I think that eventually they will work and, when they do, methods will be worked out to enable more and more cancer types and more and more specific treatments to be addressed.

Forgive me for a little rant here as I point out that the quacks that people like Ty Bollinger promote couldn't even begin to do this kind of work.

Alan

[Barree]

Jul 16, 2016 - US Vice President Joe Biden arrived in Melbourne Australia to tour the $1 billion VCCC incorporating Peter Mac Cancer Centre.

The article referred to in the West Australian Newspaper is far from science fiction, it is the result of good solid basic research and clinical trials carried out by Prof Michael Hofman and his colleague Dr John Violet at the new Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre in Melbourne. I should also mention similar trials have been underway in Germany for a number of years and are now getting underway in the USA as well.

The treatment and imaging techniques described in the article are at an advanced stage of development and showing good promise.

The treatment is carried out using radioactive Lutetium177.The imaging is done using radioactive Gallium 68 PSMA PET scans.The radioactive isotopes are attached to a ligand which in essence carries and attaches the radioactive molecules to the cancer.

Like all treatments, Radionuclide Therapy as it is called, has some limitations.

Not every prostate cancer will respond to treatment with this radioactive isotope.

Many of the problems envisaged by AlanMeyer have been addressed and largely solved. I concede this doesn’t mean there is no room for improvement but the initial exploratory trials have shown the treatment and imaging techniques are very likely to be game changers for those of us with advanced metastatic castrate resistant prostate cancer.

How do I know – I was a patient on the preliminary trial.

My treatment was completed a year ago and whilst I was one of the better responders on the trial I can assure you in my case this treatment worked in the manner described in the article contained within the newspaper clip.

The trial just announced will provide a more definitive insight as to just how effective this treatment is when compared with other advanced treatments.

Barree

[paulofaus]

Thanks for that Gary. As a 50 year old who lives in Perth, this is good news. I did mention the trial to my MO, but she said that it's only open to castrate resistant guys, which I am not at this stage. I hope to remain hormone sensitive as long as possible, but if I become castrate resistant, I will pursue this. Cheers Paul.

[Chubby42]

No problem Paul my brother in Perth sent it to me, it certainly looks promising hope the trial is successful Im just starting hormone & Chemo next week so I hope to have a few years myself.

Cheers