Australian ovarian cancer breakthrough enters human trials
Medicine is full of new words or neologisms. Mostly these are produced by PR agencies looking for a memorable brand name for a new drug. Sometimes the new name marks a dramatic shift in medical care. One such is theranostics a complex noun first used in 1997 to name a marriage of therapy and diagnosis.
Theranostics are combinations of antibodies and radiopharmaceuticals currently being used in the treatment of prostate cancer and carcinoid. The radiopharmaceutical of choice is lutetium-177 which is an isotope with a short half-life and an intense Beta emitter. Beta radiation is of high energy with low penetration and highly toxic, Standard systemic brachytherapy with Beta emitters is likely to kill the patient before killing the cancer.
The antibody combination targets the radiation to the cancer cell meaning only a low non-fatal dose is required. The antibody is produced to bind to a specific cancer cell antigen receptor. The theranostic is used to identify which cancers show this antigen by PET scan. Prostate cancer exhibits an antigen called PSMA.
This study describes a new antigen found with ovarian cancer called CDCP1. A clinical trial is commencing looking at whether PET scan using a new theranostic combination is effective in identifying ovarian cancer cells which show this antigen receptor. Hopefully this will lead to more effective treatment.
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