Epigenomic Platform Enhances Access to PSMA-Based Prostate Cancer Therapies
Jacob E. Berchuck, MD, discusses how a new epigenomic platform may influence the accessibility of PSMA-based therapies, especially for patients who may not have easy access to PSMA PET scans.
Jacob E. Berchuck, MD, assistant professor, Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University, discusses how a new epigenomic platform may influence the accessibility of prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA)-based therapies, especially for patients who may not have easy access to PSMA PET scans.
According to Berchuck, this novel epigenetic liquid biopsy platform for determining tumor PSMA expression in patients with prostate cancer could bypass the need for PSMA PET scans. These findings were presented at the 2024 ESMO Congress.
Transcription:
0:10 | We know that there are areas in certain communities where PSMA PET scans are not available. Since a PSMA PET scan is a prerequisite for receiving [177Lu-PSMA-617], this is a huge barrier. I think this is particularly important because these communities are often enriched for underserved patients. From an access and equity standpoint, we need to be better about ensuring that patients have access to life-prolonging, FDA-approved therapies.
0:35 | What we are excited about is the potential to use liquid biopsies. This involves taking a single tube of peripheral blood from a patient that can be drawn in any clinic in the US or around the world, and being able to get the diagnostic information needed to know whether an individual’s tumors express PSMA. The current ESMO abstract focuses on that specific question: Can we detect PSMA expression? We showed that we are able to do this with pretty good accuracy.
1:07 | But the next question we really want to answer is, can we predict [177Lu-PSMA-617] outcomes? I think having a blood test that is accessible to all communities that indicates whether a patient is eligible and likely to benefit from this drug would be incredibly impactful.
