Incorporating Prostate-specific Membrane Antigen Positron Emission Tomography in Management Decisions for Men with Newly Diagnosed or Biochemically Recurrent Prostate Cancer

Context: Prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) is a promising molecular target for prostate cancer (PCa) that has allowed the development of a novel diagnostic approach to PCA in the primary and recurrent settings. Objective: To summarize available data and recommendations regarding the use of PSMA in newly diagnosed and recurrent PCa via a narrative review. Evidence acquisition: A literature review was conducted using MEDLINE (via PubMed) and Scopus. The search strategy included meta-analyses, reviews, and original studies on staging and restaging with 68Ga-PSMA positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT). Evidence synthesis: Studies comparing PSMA-targeted imaging and conventional imag-ing suggest superior performance of PSMA-targeted imaging in primary and recurrent PCa, albeit with several clinically relevant limitations. Pretreatment 68Ga-PSMA PET/CT allowed more accurate PCa staging in compared to routine practice for high-risk cases, and identified a number of otherwise unknown metastatic lesions. In biochemically recurrent PCa, PSMA PET can reveal sites of recurrence with greater sensitivity and speci-ficity than conventional imaging, potentially detecting a major proportion of occult dis-ease. This review will help providers in applying the most up-to-date and relevant literature to (1) determine which patients truly have oligometastatic disease and (2) ascertain who is most likely to experience a meaningful response to local consolidation in the biochemical recurrence setting. Conclusions: Data on PSMA diagnostic studies in primary and recurrent PCa highlight the accuracy and clinical application of PSMA PET. While this review and the evidence to date might lead to a perception of superiority in metastasis directed therapy,

Automated summary

This article summarizes the available data and recommendations on the use of PSMA in newly diagnosed and recurrent prostate cancer. PSMA-targeted imaging shows superior performance in primary and recurrent prostate cancer compared to conventional imaging, but with some limitations. Pretreatment 68Ga-PSMA PET/CT provides more accurate staging and detects unknown metastatic lesions. PSMA PET has greater sensitivity and specificity in detecting recurrence in biochemically recurrent prostate cancer, potentially identifying a major proportion of occult disease.