Study Shows PSMA PET/CT Improves Survival in Men Receiving Salvage Radiotherapy for Prostate Cancer

A new study from Denmark suggests that PSMA PET/CT imaging can help identify prostate cancer patients most likely to benefit from salvage therapy, leading to improved survival outcomes.

The research, spanning eight years from 2015 to 2023, analyzed 844 men with biochemically recurrent prostate cancer: 308 who underwent PSMA PET/CT before salvage radiotherapy and 536 who did not. Patients were tracked for up to five years after treatment.

Men who received PSMA PET/CT scans prior to therapy showed higher survival rates. One-, two-, and three-year overall survival rates for this group were 100%, 99.5%, and 98.1%, compared with 99%, 97.8%, and 93.8% in the non-imaging group.
Biochemical recurrence-free survival at three years was also superior: 74.9% with PSMA PET/CT versus 69.4% without.

Salvage radiotherapy is the standard treatment for recurrent prostate cancer, but it requires precise targeting of cancerous lesions. PSMA PET/CT has emerged as the preferred imaging tool, offering greater accuracy in detecting and guiding treatment.

“It is widely accepted that PSMA PET/CT is more accurate than other imaging methods for detecting recurrent prostate cancer, and it often changes treatment plans,” said Anna W. Mogensen, MSc, a PhD student at Aalborg University Hospital. “This study now shows that such changes can lead to improved survival.”

Researchers say the findings could reduce unnecessary treatments and ensure that more patients receive the right care. “Our findings show that PSMA PET/CT scans can help clinicians select patients most likely to succeed with salvage radiotherapy,” Mogensen added. “This supports broader use of advanced nuclear medicine techniques in prostate cancer management.”