PET Imaging for Prostate Cancer

Overseen By Di (Maria) Jiang, M.D.

Age: 18+

Sex: Male

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: University Health Network, Toronto

Must be taking: ADT, ARPI

Must not be taking: Radioisotopes, Investigational agents

Disqualifiers: Active malignancy, Dialysis, others

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 1

Duration: Varies based on standard of care

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial explores new imaging methods to gain insights into advanced prostate cancer. It employs special scans, such as PSMA (prostate-specific membrane antigen) and FDG PET (fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography), to examine cancer behavior at various stages and during treatment. These scans may assist doctors in selecting more effective treatments and monitoring their efficacy over time. Men with advanced prostate cancer, specifically those with mCSPC, who are willing to undergo PET scans, might be eligible to participate. As an unphased trial, this study provides a unique opportunity to contribute to groundbreaking research that could enhance future cancer treatments.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial protocol does not specify if you need to stop taking your current medications. However, if you are on another radioisotope or investigational systemic agent, you may need to stop it at least 5 half-lives before the PET imaging.

What prior data suggests that PET imaging is safe for prostate cancer patients?

Research has shown that Ga 68 PSMA-11 PET scans are generally safe. In one study, this imaging method caused no serious side effects, and no participants left the study due to side effects. Another study found that Ga 68 PSMA-R2 was well tolerated, with no drug-related side effects reported.

For FDG PET scans, research also supports their safety. A study on FDG PET imaging in patients with various cancers found it to be safe. While some risks and side effects can occur, they are usually not serious.

Overall, both Ga 68 PSMA-11 and FDG PET scans are well-tolerated, with little risk of serious side effects according to current studies. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about these PET imaging techniques because they offer a more precise way to detect and monitor prostate cancer. Unlike traditional imaging methods, 18F-DCFPyL and Ga 68 PSMA-11 PET scans target specific molecules found in prostate cancer cells, providing clearer and more detailed images. This precision can help doctors tailor treatments more effectively and track how well the treatment is working over time. By offering a better view of the cancer's behavior, these advanced imaging techniques have the potential to improve treatment outcomes and patient care.

What evidence suggests that this trial's imaging techniques could be effective for prostate cancer?

Research shows that PET imaging techniques, such as 18F-DCFPyL and Ga 68 PSMA-11, effectively detect prostate cancer. Studies indicate that both methods perform similarly in identifying cancer in patients. Notably, 18F-DCFPyL has shown higher response rates in PSA (prostate-specific antigen) levels compared to Ga 68 PSMA-11. These imaging techniques help doctors better understand the cancer and monitor treatment effectiveness. While primarily used for diagnosis and monitoring, they play a crucial role in managing advanced prostate cancer. Participants in this trial will undergo PSMA and FDG PET imaging to assess their cancer before and during their standard care treatment. ^{6 7 8 9 10}

Who Is on the Research Team?

Di (Maria) Jiang

Principal Investigator

Princess Margaret Cancer Centre/University Health Network

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for individuals with advanced prostate cancer. It aims to understand tumor biology using specialized imaging techniques, which could guide treatment choices and monitor responses in the future.

Inclusion Criteria

My prostate cancer is advanced and was confirmed by scans before starting hormone therapy.

I am considered high-risk with metastatic castration-sensitive prostate cancer.

I haven't had PSMA or FDG PET scans in the last 60 days.

Exclusion Criteria

Another radioisotope or investigational systemic agent within 5 half-lives prior to PET imaging

Significant uncontrolled comorbidity, which may negatively impact the safety or interpretability of study PET imaging

Inability to undergo or successfully complete PSMA PET and FDG PET imaging exams

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Imaging

Participants undergo PSMA and FDG PET imaging to assess tumor biology before starting standard of care treatment

1 week

1 visit (in-person)

Treatment

Participants receive standard of care treatment with ongoing PSMA and FDG PET imaging to monitor response

Varies based on standard of care

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for safety and effectiveness after treatment

4 weeks

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• 18F-DCFPyL PET
• FDG PET
• Ga 68 PSMA-11 PET

Trial Overview The study tests the use of two types of PET scans: Ga 68 PSMA-11 and FDG PET, along with a third type called 18F-DCFPyL PET. These scans are used to visualize cancer activity and may inform better treatment strategies.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: PSMA and FDG PET Imaging Experimental Treatment 3 Interventions

Participants advanced prostate cancer will undergo PSMA and FDG PET prior to starting their standard of care treatment and during treatment.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

University Health Network, Toronto

Lead Sponsor

Trials

1,555

Recruited

526,000+

Published Research Related to This Trial

In a study involving 14 patients with biochemically relapsed prostate cancer, the new fluorine-18 labeled tracer [(18)F]DCFPyL was found to detect all lesions identified by the traditional gallium-68 labeled tracer [(68)Ga]Ga-PSMA-HBED-CC, and additionally revealed extra lesions in three patients.

[(18)F]DCFPyL demonstrated significantly higher image quality, with greater maximum standardized uptake values (SUVmax) and better tumor-to-background ratios compared to [(68)Ga]Ga-PSMA-HBED-CC, suggesting it could be a superior option for PSMA-PET/CT imaging in detecting prostate cancer.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Comparison of [(18)F]DCFPyL and [ (68)Ga]Ga-PSMA-HBED-CC for PSMA-PET Imaging in Patients with Relapsed Prostate Cancer. Dietlein, M., Kobe, C., Kuhnert, G., et al.[2021]

The study evaluated the dosimetry of the PET radiotracer 18F-DCFPyL in nine patients with metastatic prostate cancer, revealing that the lacrimal glands received the highest absorbed dose, which is important for understanding potential side effects during imaging and therapy.

Using advanced Monte-Carlo models, the research provided new insights into the dose received by the lacrimal and salivary glands, which are critical for assessing the safety and efficacy of 18F-DCFPyL in clinical applications.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Combined model-based and patient-specific dosimetry for 18F-DCFPyL, a PSMA-targeted PET agent. Plyku, D., Mena, E., Rowe, SP., et al.[2018]

The study of [(18)F]DCFPyL in nine prostate cancer patients showed that it is safe, with no major adverse events related to the radiotracer observed during the imaging process.

[(18)F]DCFPyL demonstrated high accumulation in prostate cancer sites, indicating effective targeting for imaging, and its radiation dose is comparable to other PET radiotracers, making it a viable option for clinical use.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Initial Evaluation of [(18)F]DCFPyL for Prostate-Specific Membrane Antigen (PSMA)-Targeted PET Imaging of Prostate Cancer. Szabo, Z., Mena, E., Rowe, SP., et al.[2022]

18F-DCFPyL (piflufolastat F 18) is the first PSMA-targeted PET agent approved for imaging prostate cancer, demonstrating high affinity for PSMA and becoming the standard-of-care for primary staging and recurrent disease.

The approval of 18F-DCFPyL was based on two significant multi-center trials, OSPREY and CONDOR, which focused on high-risk primary staging and biochemical recurrence, respectively, highlighting its efficacy in identifying prostate cancer metastases.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Image acquisition and interpretation of 18F-DCFPyL (piflufolastat F 18) PET/CT: How we do it. Rowe, SP., Voter, AF., Werner, RA., et al.[2023]

In a study involving 10 patients with newly diagnosed prostate cancer, the novel PET tracer 18F-PSMA-7Q demonstrated comparable imaging characteristics to the FDA-approved tracer 18F-DCFPyL, with both detecting 17 lesions without significant differences in uptake values.

18F-PSMA-7Q showed limited urinary excretion, which may provide an advantage for detecting pelvic lesions, suggesting it could be a promising alternative for prostate cancer imaging pending further validation.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Prospective intraindividual comparison of 18F-PSMA-7Q and 18F-DCFPyL PET/CT in patients with newly diagnosed prostate cancer. Liu, Y., Zhang, X., Liu, J., et al.[2023]

In a study of 93 patients with biochemically recurrent prostate cancer, 18F-DCFPyL PET/CT scans identified disease in 82% of cases, significantly outperforming conventional imaging, which had an accuracy below 20%.

The use of 18F-DCFPyL PET/CT led to a change in management for 44% of patients, often shifting treatment from androgen deprivation therapy to targeted radiotherapy, highlighting its potential to improve patient outcomes.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Diagnostic performance of 18F-DCFPyL positron emission tomography/computed tomography for biochemically recurrent prostate cancer and change-of-management analysis. Chaussé, G., Ben-Ezra, N., Stoopler, M., et al.[2021]

The novel PSMA-targeted PET radiotracer [(18)F]DCFPyL detected 139 sites of metastatic prostate cancer in patients, significantly outperforming conventional imaging modalities (CIM), which only identified 45 lesions.

This study suggests that [(18)F]DCFPyL PET imaging is more effective in identifying metastatic disease, especially in cases where CIM results were negative or equivocal, highlighting its potential as a superior diagnostic tool for prostate cancer.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

PSMA-Based [(18)F]DCFPyL PET/CT Is Superior to Conventional Imaging for Lesion Detection in Patients with Metastatic Prostate Cancer. Rowe, SP., Macura, KJ., Mena, E., et al.[2022]

The 18F-labeled PSMA-directed PET agent [18F]DCFPyL (PYLARIFY) has shown significant clinical utility in staging and restaging prostate cancer, supported by major trials like OSPREY and CONDOR.

Following its recent FDA approval, [18F]DCFPyL is expected to see increased adoption for imaging and management of prostate cancer, enhancing image-guided treatment strategies in both the U.S. and Europe.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

[18F]DCFPyL PET/CT for Imaging of Prostate Cancer. Rowe, SP., Buck, A., Bundschuh, RA., et al.[2022]

Citations

1. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10938285/

Diagnostic performance of 18F‑DCFPyL PET vs. 68Ga ... A comparable diagnostic performance for patients with suspected PCa was determined for 18 F-DCFPyL PET and 68 Ga-PSMA PET/CT.

2. jnm.snmjournals.org jnm.snmjournals.org/content/66/supplement_1/251575

Comparison of [¹⁸F]PSMA-1007, [¹⁸F]DCFPyL, and [⁶⁸Ga ... [¹⁸F]PSMA-1007 demonstrated superior lesion detection at low PSA levels (<0.5 ng/mL), achieving a DR of 84% compared to 68% for [⁶⁸Ga]Ga-PSMA-11 ...

3. nature.com nature.com/articles/s41391-023-00755-2

Comparison of 18 F-based PSMA radiotracers with [ 68 Ga] ... This study aims to investigate whether Fluorine-18 ( 18 F)-labelled PSMA PET/CT is significantly different from Gallium-68 ( 68 Ga) in primary diagnosis and/or ...

4. frontiersin.org frontiersin.org/journals/oncology/articles/10.3389/fonc.2024.1382582/full

Comparison of 18 F-DCFPyL and 68 Ga-PSMA-11 for 177 ... Results: Both agents had comparable biodistribution. Patients initially imaged with 18F-DCFPyL had a higher PSA response (66% vs. 42%), and more patients had a ...

5. cancerimagingjournal.biomedcentral.com cancerimagingjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40644-023-00599-y

Meta-analysis of 18 F-PSMA-1007 PET/CT ... - Cancer Imaging The current evidences showed that 18 F-PSMA-1007 PET/CT and 68 Ga-PSMA PET/CT had higher diagnostic efficacy of prostate cancer compared with 18 F-FDG PET/CT.

6. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5119923/

Is There Utility for FDG PET in Prosate Cancer? - PMC The pooled risk of malignancy with biopsy verification was 62% (95% Confidence Interval [CI]: 54–71%). It has been suggested that incidental prostate uptake on ...

7. journals.lww.com journals.lww.com/nuclearmedicinecomm/fulltext/2025/08000/the_safety_and_clinical_impact_of_ultra_low_dose.14.aspx

The safety and clinical impact of ultra-low-dose FDG-PET... This retrospective case series analysed clinical data from six patients with high-risk PABC who underwent FDG-PET imaging for staging between 2022 and 2023. FDG ...

8. mayoclinic.org mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/psma-pet-scan/about/pac-20582225

PSMA PET scan for prostate cancer Risks. A PSMA PET scan is a safe imaging test. Like all tests, it has some risks, limitations and side effects. These include side effects ...

9. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4565230/

Clinical significance of incidental FDG uptake in the prostate ... Incidental 18F-FDG uptake in the prostate gland is a rare condition, but a substantial portion of it is associated with the cancer.

10. ejnmmires.springeropen.com ejnmmires.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s13550-025-01265-z

A prospective, multi-centre trial of PSMA-PET compared to ... Indeed, FDG PET is used for many malignancies and can result in incidental prostate uptake in 3% of patients, in whom 30% can result in a ...