Cross Cancer Institute reports breakthrough in advanced prostate cancer treatment
A new theranostic approach using lutetium PSMA is improving outcomes for men with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer, now covered by Alberta public funding since March 2025.
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The Cross Cancer Institute is reporting improved outcomes with a new personalized cancer treatment that combines diagnostic imaging and targeted therapy — a theranostic approach that has entered standard care for advanced prostate cancer.
The treatment uses a pair of radionuclides injected into the patient's bloodstream with a "seek-and-destroy" mission. Physicians first use diagnostic imaging to confirm the target is present in a patient's tumours, then administer a therapeutic radionuclide to treat the cancer. The TheraP study reported improved prostate-specific antigen responses with lutetium-177 Lu-PSMA versus cabazitaxel in men with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer progressing after docetaxel, with secondary outcomes of overall survival and imaging biomarker analysis.
Ron Ohlmann, a 63-year-old patient with Stage 4 prostate cancer, has seen his PSA levels drop to their lowest in three years since starting treatment. Eight years after his initial diagnosis, Ohlmann credits the innovation with extending his life. "I am convinced I wouldn't be here without all these treatments," he said. "Everything that I've been on has been relatively new."
Dr. Stella Koumna, a nuclear medicine physician at the Cross specializing in theranostics, said the approach offers true personalization. "We can actually look at the patient as a whole, and we get whole body scans that show us which tumours present the target, and we can predict whether the treatment is a good option for them and it will benefit them," she said.
Patients receiving theranostic treatment must follow radiation safety precautions — their urine and bodily fluids are radioactive after injection, requiring specific protocols to minimize exposure to others. Theranostics has been performed at the Cross since the late 1980s, but lutetium PSMA gained public funding in March 2025 and has since entered standard care. The Edmonton Radiopharmaceutical Centre, located a few blocks away, supplies the radiopharmaceuticals the treatment requires.
How many prostate cancer patients have been treated with lutetium PSMA at the Cross Cancer Institute since public funding began in March 2025?
What is the cost per patient for theranostic treatment under Alberta's public health coverage?
We'll update this story as answers emerge.
The facts
When did Alberta public funding start covering lutetium PSMA treatment?
Lutetium PSMA gained public funding in Alberta in March 2025 and has since entered standard care at the Cross Cancer Institute.
How does the theranostic approach work for prostate cancer?
Physicians use diagnostic imaging to confirm a target is present in a patient's tumours, then inject a therapeutic radionuclide into the bloodstream to treat the cancer in a personalized 'seek-and-destroy' approach.
What safety precautions must patients follow after lutetium PSMA treatment?
Patients must follow radiation safety protocols because their urine and bodily fluids become radioactive after injection, requiring specific measures to minimize exposure to others.
