Prostate cancer affects about 1 in 8 men throughout their lifetime. In New York City, it is the second-most common form of cancer, with Black men, men aged 40 and older, and those with a family history of prostate cancer facing the highest risk. It is the second leading cause of cancer-related death for men in the United States.
Maimonides Prostate Center, Brooklyn’s only full-service center for prostate and other urologic cancers, is committed to providing the highest quality screening, diagnostic services, and treatments for prostate patients all under one roof, with an emphasis on enhancing patients’ quality of life. For prostate cancer at all stages, patients have more options for effective treatment of their specific disease state than anywhere else in the borough.
The Center is proud to announce its introduction of PLUVICTO, a first-of-its-kind treatment for patients who have not responded to traditional prostate cancer treatments.
“This new treatment was studied specifically in patients whose cancer progressed after the most-commonly used other drug treatments — chemotherapy and hormonal therapy,” said Kevin Becker, MD, Division Chief, Hematology and Medical Oncology at Maimonides. “It represents a new treatment for many patients who may have few or no other options.”
First in Brooklyn to Administer PLUVICTO Targeted Prostate Cancer Therapy
Offered only at advanced radiation oncology practices, PLUVICTO is a radiopharmaceutical treatment used to treat PSMA-positive metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. The drug differs from chemotherapy; it targets PSMA-positive cancer cells directly through a prostate specific membrane antigen which is present on most prostate cancer cells, according to James Butler, MD, Radiation Oncology Program Director at Maimonides.
PLUVICTO seeks out and delivers a high dose of radiation directly to these PSMA-positive cancer cell while bypassing healthy cells and sparing them from radiation doses. This can result in fewer side effects like nausea, vomiting, and hair loss, which are common with chemotherapy. The treatment is administered through a series of six intravenous injections.
“This treatment has been proven to extend life for patients who are diagnosed as having metastatic prostate cancer,” said Dr. Butler. “Currently, this medicine is approved for patients who have progressed on hormone therapy as well as chemotherapy, but it is anticipated that this drug will also be found to be active in earlier stages of prostate cancer.”
Prostate Cancer Team Brings Experience, Expertise to Administration of New Treatment
As Brooklyn’s only full-service, dedicated prostate cancer care center, Maimonides Prostate Center is uniquely suited to bring the borough this lifesaving care.
“We have lots of experience with similar treatments, so we are ‘experienced’ despite this being a novel treatment,” said David Berlach, MD, Interim Chair of Radiation Oncology at Maimonides Cancer Center. “This is an important addition to our prostate treatment arsenal. Because Pluvicto is so targeted, it is very effective in treating metastatic disease and has very limited side effects.”
Maimonides prostate cancer specialists have a record of bringing the most cutting-edge treatments to patients in Brooklyn. Maimonides was the first hospital in Brooklyn to offer NanoKnife technology for minimally invasive prostate cancer surgery, and the first center on the East Coast to offer high-intensity focal ultrasound (HIFU), the world’s most advanced noninvasive ablation device for prostate cancer. It was also first in Brooklyn and among the first nationally to make irreversible electrocorporation available for patients with prostate cancer.
Maimonides is also among the few hospitals in Brooklyn using Xofigo®, the only other approved radioisotope for prostate cancer. Though it is used earlier in the progression of prostate cancer than PLUVICTO, the treatments have in common their capacity to extend survival with minimal side effects.
Brooklyn Patients Have Access to All Treatment Options for Prostate Cancer
Prior to the Prostate Center’s approval to administer this life-saving treatment, Maimonides clinicians referred patients to other cancer care centers, but none were located in Brooklyn. Traveling far from home is often not an option or proves a great hardship for many patients. As the first in Brooklyn to offer PLUVICTO, Maimonides is making this treatment more accessible for those who need it most.
“Patients diagnosed with metastatic prostate cancer in Brooklyn have all treatment options available to them here at Maimonides Prostate Cancer Center,” said Dr. Butler. “All of these options have been used at Maimonides Cancer Center and have already been found to extend a patient’s life by years and improve their quality of survival. PLUVICTO is one more treatment that will enable our patients to keep living well.”
To refer a patient to Maimonides Prostate Center, call (718) 283-7770 or visit our webpage.
