ANNOUNCEMENT – ONCOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF CYPRUS OEK – 09/07/2019

ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE CYPRUS ONCOLOGICAL SOCIETY (OEK)

On the occasion of a scientific publication in the daily press concerning treatment in patients with prostate cancer and due to repeated questions from affected patients to the treating Oncologists regarding the indications for its administration, the Cyprus Oncology Society would like to point out the following.

The publication concerns nuclear medicine therapy (Lutetium-177-PMSA or LuPSMA) in patients with prostate cancer. This is a treatment that is in an experimental stage with published encouraging results of phase 2 studies. It is not an established treatment, that is, it is not recorded in international guidelines and therefore is not yet a treatment used in daily practice. The publication of phase 3 results that will potentially allow its establishment is expected in approximately 3 years. This treatment may potentially be administered to patients with metastatic hormone-refractory prostate cancer under specific conditions and after all established treatments have been exhausted, in the context of clinical studies.

Therefore, patients are urged to follow the recommendations of their treating Oncologists regarding the indications for administering treatments, whether they fall within the framework of therapeutic protocols and guidelines or are in an experimental stage. Both patients and treating physicians are also urged to respect the decisions of the medical boards, since these must be and are made on the basis of internationally recognized guidelines and protocols.