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Lutetium-177 PSMA Therapy in Germany | Best Hospitals, Doctors, Prices | Booking Health™

Lutetium-177 PSMA Therapy in Germany

Treatment by Lutetium-177 PSMA Therapy in Germany | Highly-qualified medical personnel | Cheapest prices for Lutetium-177 PSMA Therapy | Send us a request and choose the best hospital in Germany for treatment with Lutetium-177 PSMA Therapy

Best hospitals and doctors for Lutetium-177 PSMA Therapy in Germany

Leading hospitals

Cost for treatment

Diagnosis of the prostate cancer with PSMA-PET
5123.65
Neuroendocrine Tumors (NETs) Treatment with Lutetium-177-DOTATATE
15263.86
Prostate Cancer Treatment with Lutetium-177 PSMA
22709.36
Helios Hospital Berlin-Buch
Germany, Berlin
Helios Hospital Berlin-Buch
Overall rating9.7 / 10
According to the reputable Focus magazine, the Helios Hospital Berlin-Buch ranks among the top medical facilities in Germany! The clinic is proud of its rich history, which dates back over 100 years, as well as the status of a maximum care medical center with exceptionally high success treatment rates. The medical institution is
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University Hospital Frankfurt am Main
Germany, Frankfurt am Main
University Hospital Frankfurt am Main
Overall rating10 / 10
According to the reputable Focus magazine, the University Hospital Frankfurt am Main ranks among the top German medical facilities! The hospital was founded in 1914 and today is a well-known German medical facility, which combines rich traditions and scientific innovations. A medical team of more than 6,500 employees cares about
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University Hospital Erlangen
Germany, Erlangen
University Hospital Erlangen
Overall rating9.1 / 10
According to the Focus magazine, University Hospital Erlangen ranks among the best medical facilities in Germany! The hospital is one of the leading healthcare facilities in Bavaria and offers top-class medical care distinguished by the close intertwining of clinical activities with research and training of medical students. The
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University Hospital Bonn
Germany, Bonn
University Hospital Bonn
Overall rating9.2 / 10
According to the authoritative Focus magazine, the University Hospital Bonn ranks among the top ten medical facilities in Germany! The hospital was opened on January 1, 2001, although in fact it inherits the medical facility, which operated at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Bonn. The hospital in Germany combin
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University Hospital Halle (Saale)
Germany, Halle
University Hospital Halle (Saale)
Overall rating9.6 / 10
According to the prestigious Focus magazine, the University Hospital Halle (Saale) ranks among the top German medical facilities! The history of the hospital has more than 300 years, and during this time it managed to earn an excellent reputation not only in Germany, but throughout the world. The hospital positions itself as a s
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University Hospital Duesseldorf
Germany, Duesseldorf
University Hospital Duesseldorf
Overall rating9.5 / 10
According to the authoritative Focus magazine, the University Hospital Duesseldorf ranks among the top Germany hospitals! The hospital is an excellent example of a combination of high-quality health care, research and teaching activities. With more than 50,000 inpatients and about 300,000 outpatients every year, the hospital is
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University Hospital Jena
Germany, Jena
University Hospital Jena
Overall rating8.9 / 10
According to the prestigious Focus magazine, the University Hospital Jena regularly ranks among the top German medical facilities! The hospital has positioned itself as a multidisciplinary medical facility with a long history of more than 200 years. Since its foundation, the hospital has been constantly developing and modernizin
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University Hospital Würzburg
Germany, Würzburg
University Hospital Würzburg
Overall rating9.2 / 10
According to the Focus magazine in 2019, the University Hospital Würzburg ranks among the top national German hospitals! The hospital is one of the oldest medical facilities in Germany. The centuries-old traditions of first-class treatment are combined with the very latest achievements of modern evidence-based medicine and
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University Hospital Muenster
Germany, Muenster
University Hospital Muenster
Overall rating9.8 / 10
According to the Focus magazine, the University Hospital Muenster ranks among the top German hospitals! The hospital belongs to the most prestigious medical institutions in Germany. The hospital is distinguished by a high professionalism of its doctors, state-of-the-art technological equipment and the availability of the most ad
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University Hospital Tuebingen
Germany, Tuebingen
University Hospital Tuebingen
Overall rating8.7 / 10
According to the prestigious medical publication Focus, the University Hospital Tuebingen ranks among the top five German hospitals! The hospital was founded in 1805, therefore it is proud of its long history, unique experience, and outstanding achievements in the field of medical care, as well as research and teaching activitie
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University Hospital Heidelberg
Germany, Heidelberg
University Hospital Heidelberg
Overall rating9.8 / 10
According to Focus magazine, the University Hospital Heidelberg ranks among the top five hospitals in Germany! The hospital is one of the most advanced and reputable medical institutions not only in Germany, but throughout Europe. There are more than 43 specialized departments and 13 medical institutes, which cover all fields of
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University Hospital Essen
Germany, Essen
University Hospital Essen
Overall rating9.6 / 10
According to the authoritative Focus magazine the University Hospital Essen ranks among the top German hospitals! With 27 specialized departments and 24 institutes, the hospital in Germany is a maximum care medical facility. The hospital has 1,300 beds for inpatient treatment. A highly qualified medical team of more than 6,000 e
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University Hospital Saarland Homburg
Germany, Homburg
University Hospital Saarland Homburg
Overall rating9.8 / 10
The University Hospital Saarland Homburg is the largest hospital in the city of Homburg and the most important medical facility in the region. The hospital, which currently has 30 specialized departments and 20 institutes, was founded in 1947 and operates on the basis of Saarland University. The hospital plays a leading role in
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Charite University Hospital Berlin
Germany, Berlin
Charite University Hospital Berlin
Overall rating9 / 10
According to the authoritative Focus magazine, the Charite University Hospital Berlin occupies the first place in the rating of the top German medical facilities! The hospital is one of the largest and leading university medical complexes in Europe. The hospital in Germany provides modern diagnostics and treatment of patients, a
University Hospital RWTH Aachen
Germany, Aachen
University Hospital RWTH Aachen
Overall rating8.9 / 10
According to the prestigious Focus magazine, the University Hospital RWTH Aachen ranks among the top German hospitals! As a maximum care university medical facility, the hospital guarantees patients first-class medical services combined with a respectful and human attitude. The hospital integrates all the modern options for the
University Hospital Ulm
Germany, Ulm
University Hospital Ulm
Overall rating8.73571 / 10
The University Hospital Ulm is an advanced medical complex that provides patients with high-class medical care using the very latest scientific achievements. The medical facility has been performing successful clinical activities for more than 40 years and has long earned an excellent reputation throughout Europe. The hospital r
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| from Booking Health GmbH

Therapy with Lu-177 is effective in patients with metastatic castration resistant prostate cancer and NETs of the prostate.

Lutetium-177 PSMA therapy is used for cancer treatment in patients who no longer respond to chemo- or hormonal therapy.

The average cost of the Lutetium therapy is 33,300 EUR. You can find more prices on the Booking Health website.

The best hospitals in Germany are University Hospital Rechts der Isar Munich, University Hospital of Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Helios Hospital Berlin-Buch.

 

Prostate cancer is a relatively non-aggressive tumor. It can be monitored for a long time, and in case of progression, the disease can be treated with surgery, radiation therapy or brachytherapy. Relapses are rare.

Nonetheless, in many patients, prostate cancer is diagnosed only beyond the stage one-three, after the spread of metastases. Such forms of the disease are subject to control throughout the patient's life. Doctors use hormone therapy and chemotherapy. In recent years, another method of systemic treatment has become widespread abroad: Lutetium PSMA therapy. Doctors inject radioactive substances into the patient's vein, which themselves find the tumor, and its metastases, accumulate in cancer cells, and destroy them with radiation. The cost of Lutetium-177 PSMA therapy for prostate cancer is between 22,700 EUR and 44,000 EUR.

Content

  1. Essence of the method
  2. In what cases can PSMA therapy be used
  3. What is the process of treatment?
  4. Benefits of the method
  5. Why is it better to undergo cancer treatment in Germany?
  6. Treatment in Germany at an affordable price

Essence of the method

 

After the spread of metastases, doctors cannot conduct radical prostate cancer treatment with surgery or radiation therapy. It is impossible to detect and destroy all metastases in the body. Such a surgical intervention would be too traumatic. In addition, it is simply impossible to detect all metastatic foci: most of them are minimal in size, but after a few months they will increase and cause symptoms.

Therefore, for patients with prostate cancer beyond the stage 1-3, doctors use systemic treatment methods. These are therapies that target all cancer cells in the body, no matter where they are. Examples of such therapy include chemotherapy, targeted therapy, immunotherapy, and hormone therapy. Medicines can be administered intravenously or taken orally. They are carried throughout the body with blood and also get into cancer cells.

Lutetium PSMA therapy is also among the systemic treatment options. The radiopharmaceutical agent is administered intravenously. The radioactive substance accumulates only in cancer cells and irradiates them without actually affecting normal tissues. How is this possible? How does the drug recognize where the tumor is and where are the normal cells?

The selectivity of action of the radiopharmaceutical agent is because it is directed to a molecular target. It can attach only to certain molecules that are present on cancer cells but are absent or are contained in minimal amounts on healthy cells. PSMA, a prostate-specific membrane antigen, is used as such a target. Cancer cells contain it hundreds of times more than normal ones.

The drug itself consists of two components. These are as follows:

  • PSMA ligands – molecules that can bind to PSMA. 
  • Radionuclide – in this case, it is lutetium 177, although other radioactive substances can also be used. 

Thus, lutetium itself does not know how to find a cancerous tumor. This is done by ligands, which deliver radioactive substances to the target.

Lutetium is the most popular radionuclide in the treatment of patients with metastatic prostate cancer. This is because it:

  • Gives short beta radiation, spreading only 1 mm, which means that the normal tissues surrounding the cancerous tumor practically do not suffer from radiation. 
  • It has an effective half-life of only 2 days, which means that the patient does not carry a radiation source in the body for too long, so he usually does not suffer from complications and is not dangerous to others.

In what cases can PSMA therapy be used 

 

Patients with advanced cancer are considered candidates for lutetium PSMA therapy if chemotherapy and hormonal treatment options do not work. The tumor must be PSMA positive, that is, it contains a sufficient number of receptors for the accumulation of the radiopharmaceutical agent.

With an aggressive form of prostate cancer and the absence of timely treatment, the tumor spreads metastases. They most often affect the lymph nodes and bones. The treatment involves the use of hormone therapy. Sooner or later, the patients develop hormone-resistant cancer: the tumor continues to grow despite hormonal treatment.

The next option is chemotherapy. In recent years, it has been increasingly prescribed even before the development of resistance to hormone therapy. Thus, hormone therapy is combined with cytostatics. In addition, methods of local control of the tumor are used: mainly radiation therapy or brachytherapy.

At some point, the patient stops responding to therapy with cytostatics. In addition, older people may have poor tolerance or suffer from severe side effects. PSMA therapy for prostate cancer is better tolerated and has fewer complications. Therefore, its use is possible in elderly patients, weakened by the disease or suffering from concomitant pathologies.

To test whether patients with metastatic prostate cancer are candidates for radionuclide treatment, PSMA PET is performed. A small amount of a radiopharmaceutical agent is injected into the body to check whether the tumor is capable of accumulating it. In the future, PSMA PET is performed at least after every second procedure to assess the results of therapy.

What is the process of treatment? 

 

This treatment option for prostate cancer does not take long and is well tolerated by patients.

One course consists of just one injection. The radiopharmaceutical agent is administered intravenously. The person must then spend three nights in the hospital, and on the fourth day they are discharged.

During the administration of the drug, a small amount of radioactive substance may accumulate in the kidneys and salivary glands. Occasionally, liver metastases may develop, which is why lutetium PSMA can cause jaundice in some patients.

Doctors carry out a careful diagnostic examination of patients. If there is a threat of jaundice, then bile duct stenting is performed before the procedure. The salivary glands are cooled to avoid dry mouth. To protect the kidneys, infusion solutions are administered intravenously. Prior to each course of treatment, the function of the internal organs is assessed.

The number of courses may vary. Patients treated with PSMA therapy can respond to treatment differently. In some patients, a complete response can be achieved – the disappearance of all tumor foci. In other cases, a partial response is established – a decrease in the diameter of the tumor and metastases by more than 30%. Some metastatic lesions may disappear completely. Even if the areas of cancer spread are not significantly reduced, they stabilize in size.

After each injection of the radiopharmaceutical agent, doctors assess the results of treatment by measuring PSA levels. Tumors and metastases are visualized with PET-CT. The treatment is repeated every 8 weeks. PSMA therapy for the patient continues as long as it works without causing unacceptable toxicity.

Benefits of the method 

 

Lutetium PSMA therapy is one of the best treatment options for patients with metastatic cancer. This is a real breakthrough in the fight against this pathology. When combined with other methods, lutetium treatment can increase the life expectancy of patients with advanced stages of cancer by several years, and significantly improve the quality of life.

PSMA therapy has been used in medicine relatively recently. However, in just a few years of application, it has already established itself as a procedure with a good balance of effectiveness and safety. The benefits of this treatment option for patients with metastatic prostate cancer are as follows:

  • With the help of PSMA therapy, even the most advanced forms of cancer can be treated when chemotherapy and hormone therapy no longer work.
  • Good treatment tolerance: patients are less likely to suffer from side effects than after chemotherapy.
  • Serious complications are rare. Some doctors do not face them, even after treating dozens of patients with lutetium.
  • PSA levels after a single injection of the radiopharmaceutical agent can decrease by 95% or more.
  • It is possible to achieve a complete response to treatment: the disappearance of the primary tumor and all metastases according to the data of radiological diagnostics. 

If side effects occur, then, in most cases, these are toxic reactions of grade 1-2. The most common of them are dry mouth (68% of patients), nausea (48%), and fatigue (36%). Grade 3-4 toxic reactions occur very rarely. They are possible only in the presence of metastatic foci in the bones with the involvement of the bone marrow. In this case, radiation sources inhibit hematopoiesis, thrombocytopenia, and anemia (low platelet and erythrocyte levels) may develop. In Germany, doctors successfully correct these conditions through transfusions of blood and its components.

 

Why is it better to undergo cancer treatment in Germany? 

 

Germany is an economically prosperous country with developed medicine. Doctors in this country apply the very latest treatment options for prostate cancer. Patients in Germany can expect excellent results with minimal health risks.

There are several reasons for you to undergo treatment in one of the German hospitals: 

  • Lutetium PSMA therapy can be used for metastatic cancer. In most countries all over the world, this method is not used at all or has limited application.
  • Extensive experience – German doctors were among the first to treat patients with prostate cancer using radionuclide methods. 
  • The departments of radiology and oncology are equipped with state-of-the-art medical technology. 
  • A thorough diagnosis was conducted before the procedure. Doctors will examine you to see if radioligand therapy will be effective and whether it is appropriate to use it. During the treatment, you will be examined to evaluate the results and avoid damage to internal organs, primarily to protect the kidneys.
  • Comfortable conditions in the hospitals. After the administration of the radiopharmaceutical agent, you will need to spend another 3 days in the hospital.
  • A successful combination of several methods of treating prostate cancer – not only systemic (drug therapy), but also local (remote irradiation, brachytherapy).
  • Other innovations in the treatment of prostate cancer are available: embolization of tumor vessels, robot-assisted operations, high-intensity focused ultrasound, and proton therapy.

Thanks to the high level of medicine, even advanced prostate cancer can be successfully treated in Germany. Despite the aggressive histological type of the tumor, and the development of distant metastases, provided with high-quality treatment, many patients can live for another 5-10 years or more after the diagnosis is made.

Treatment in Germany at an affordable price 

 

To undergo treatment for metastatic prostate cancer in the department of nuclear therapy in one of the German hospitals, please use the services of Booking Health. On our website, you can find out the cost of treatment in different nuclear medicine hospitals, compare prices, and book a medical care program at a favorable price. Treatment with lutetium in a German hospital will be easier and faster for you, and the cost of treatment will be lower.

Please leave your request on the Booking Health website. Our employee will contact you and advise you about treatment in Germany. Booking Health will take care of the organization of your trip to one of the nuclear medicine hospitals. We will provide the following benefits to you:

  • We will select a hospital for treatment in Germany, whose doctors specialize in nuclear medicine.
  • We will help you overcome the language barrier, and establish communication with your attending physician.
  • We will reduce the waiting time for the start of the medical care program and book a doctor's appointment on the most suitable dates.
  • We will reduce the price. The cost of treatment in German hospitals will be lower due to the lack of additional coefficients for foreign patients.
  • We will take care of all organizational issues: documents for entering the country, transfer from the airport, hotel, interpreting services, etc.
  • We will prepare a program and translate medical documents. You do not have to repeat the previously performed diagnostic procedures.
  • We will provide communication with the hospital after cancer treatment in Germany.
  • We will organize additional diagnostic examinations and treatment in a German hospital, if necessary.
  • We will buy medicines abroad and forward them to your native country.
  • We will help you keep in touch with the hospital and the doctor after treatment in Germany.

You will be treated by the best doctors in the world. Booking Health staff will help reduce the cost of treatment for metastatic cancer and solve all organizational issues, and you will only have to focus on restoring your health.

Authors: 

The article was edited by medical experts, board certified doctors Dr. Nadezhda Ivanisova and Dr. Sergey Pashchenko. For the treatment of the conditions referred to in the article, you must consult a doctor; the information in the article is not intended for self-medication!

Our editorial policy, which details our commitment to accuracy and transparency, is available here. Click this link to review our policies.

Sources:

National Library of Medicine

German Cancer Research Center

Cancer. Net