Lutetium treatment in Turkey - Anadolu Clinic

[Arcticfox44]

I have just started Lutetium-177 at the Anadolu clinic in Istanbul. I was referred to Dr. Kezban Berberoglu by Dr. Eugene Kwon of the Mayo Clinic, who has overseen my treatment for the past five years. She is a very capable specialist and I hold her in high regard. I would certainly recommend her and the clinic to anyone in that region, or elsewhere. It happens that I have lived in Cyprus for 20 years, and for me it's an easy flight to Istanbul, just a little over an hour.

One of the strengths of Anadolu, and "Dr, Kezban" as she is known, is the emphasis on collaboration with other doctors to get the big picture (not just PC). I was checked in for a day and a half as an inpatient and had various tests, vitamins fed in by IV, etc. I do not have other major complaints or conditions but have experienced loss of appetite and some difficulty keeping hydrated. These things pre-date my first consultations at Anadolu earlier this month. I have also had persistent lower back pain for more than a year, and slight soreness in my knees, e.g. when standing up from a chair. These things are being addressed at Anadolu.

My history in brief is: radical prostatectomy in 2002 at Sloan Kettering (PSA about 4, Gleason 4/3) , salvage radiation at Sloan in 2008, abdominal lymph node surgery at the Wellington Hospital in London in 2014 and again at the Mayo (Rochester) in 2017. I was on Zytiga from April 2020 until March 2021. It initially knocked PSA down from 14 to 8 but never got below 8 and I had swelling of legs and feet. In May 2021 I had radiation of left abdominal lymph nodes at the German Oncology Center in Limassol, Cyprus. In December 2021 I went on chemo with docetaxel here in Cyprus, completing that in April 2022. PSA fell from about 60 to 9 but then began rising, and was just under 29 when I went to Anadolu earlier this month. The Gallium PET scans at Anadolu show no sign of spread to bones.

[meowlicious99]

Thank you for posting your journey here. Sounds like its working for you!

[tango65]

Where is the cancer located? How many metastases?

[Arcticfox44 in reply to tango65]

Apparently no spread to bones. Just a few small areas in abdomen. As noted, I previously had salvage radiation to prostate bed (2008), abdominal lymph node surgery in 2014 and 2017, and radiation of left abdominal lymph nodes in 2021. Not clear why PSA recently rose quite sharply after chemo with docetaxel, from 9 to nearly 29. Possibly PSMA PET CT scans are missing something.

[Concerned-wife in reply to Arcticfox44]

did you have FDG PET scan too?

[Hidden]

What is the approx cost level for a treatment?

[FrankyB4]

Thanks for this- I am planning ahead and this is helpful. Good luck.