Innovative Lutetium Treatment Eliminates Active Prostate Cancer in Advanced Patient at Ziv Medical Center

Ziv Medical Center in Safed has reported a remarkable case where a 66-year-old patient with metastatic prostate cancer showed no active disease following an advanced Lutetium-177 PSMA treatment. The patient, Gonen Klein from Kibbutz Degania B, was diagnosed with prostate cancer that had spread to his bones and other organs. After receiving a series of targeted radioligand therapy sessions at the center's nuclear medicine institute, imaging tests revealed the disappearance of active cancer, and his PSA levels dropped to zero.

Lutetium-177 PSMA therapy uses a radioactive substance that binds to the PSMA protein, highly expressed on prostate cancer cells, delivering focused radiation directly to tumors while sparing healthy tissue. This outpatient treatment is included in Israel's health basket for eligible patients, primarily those whose disease progressed despite hormonal or chemotherapy treatments.

Dr. Israel Sandler, head of the nuclear medicine institute, explained that while the therapy generally aims to slow disease progression and improve quality of life, exceptional responses like Klein's are rare but possible. The center also employs advanced Veriton imaging technology to enhance treatment planning and monitoring. The availability of this treatment in northern Israel reduces the need for patients to travel to central medical facilities.

Klein expressed profound hope and urged men not to neglect simple blood tests for early detection. His wife, Rivka Klein, shared her emotional relief at seeing her husband's disease inactive. Prof. Salman Zarka, director of Ziv Medical Center, emphasized the hospital's commitment to bridging healthcare gaps between Israel's periphery and center by providing cutting-edge therapies locally.