PSMA PET for Treatment Response evaLuation of systemIC Therapies in prostAte caNcer (PELICAN)

PSMA PET for Treatment Response evaLuation of systemIC Therapies in prostAte caNcer (PELICAN), an Italian Multicenter Study

This prospective clinical study aims to evaluate the predictive power of PSMA PET imaging in patients with advanced prostate cancer who are receiving systemic drug therapies.

The primary goal is to identify prognostic factors derived from PSMA PET imaging. These factors include the number of cancer lesions, the size of the tumor, and measurements known as SUVmax and SUVmean. By identifying these factors, the investigators aim to better group patients and predict those who may have a less favorable outcome. While PSMA PET imaging is highly accurate in locating cancer sites within the body, its ability to predict treatment response has not yet been thoroughly studied in a prospective manner for this patient population.

This study will assess the predictive role of PSMA PET imaging and its ability to forecast treatment response across a range of systemic therapies, including hormone therapy and chemotherapy, in patients with both hormone-sensitive (HSPC) and castration-resistant (CRPC) prostate cancer.

Purpose: to determine the prognostic value of PSMA PET imaging in patients diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer who are undergoing systemic therapies. The study will enroll patients with either hormone-sensitive (HSPC) or castration-resistant (CRPC) disease.

Design of the register: observational, pharmacological, non-profit, prospective, multicentric.

Duration of the record: The expected duration for the collection of PET/CT-PSMA examinations is 9 years.

The primary objective is to evaluate the predictive capacity of PSMA PET, focusing on quantitative parameters such as the number of lesions, tumor volume (as assessed by metabolic tumor volume - MTV), maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax), and mean standardized uptake value (SUVmean), to stratify patient risk and predict unfavorable clinical outcomes (e.g., progression-free survival, overall survival).

This research will address the existing knowledge gap regarding the predictive ability of PSMA PET beyond its established role in disease localization. Specifically, the study will investigate if PSMA PET parameters can forecast response to a spectrum of systemic treatments, including but not limited to: abiraterone, enzalutamide, apalutamide, darolutamide, docetaxel, cabazitaxel, olaparib, radiotherapy, 177-lutetium PSMA, and 225-actinium PSMA.

Secondary objectives include:

• Identifying PSMA PET-derived biomarkers that predict response to the aforementioned systemic therapies.
• Assessing the incremental prognostic and predictive value of PSMA PET in conjunction with standard imaging modalities, namely CT, MRI, and bone scan, in patients undergoing multiple imaging assessments.
• Evaluating the correlation between changes in PSMA PET-derived tumor volume during treatment and clinical outcomes.

This study will leverage quantitative imaging data obtained from PSMA PET to develop predictive models that may refine patient stratification and personalize treatment strategies for advanced prostate cancer.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Histological diagnosis of advanced prostate cancer (excluding neuroendocrine carcinoma);
• Patients undergoing PSMA PET for pre-treatment disease staging;
• Candidates to receive one or more of the following systemic therapies, in combination or alone: abiraterone, enzalutamide, apalutamide, darolutamide, docetaxel, cabazitaxel, olaparib, radiotherapy, lutetium-177-PSMA, actinium-225-PSMA;
• Provision of signed informed consent for study participation and data handling.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Inability to remain supine and still for the PET/CT image acquisition;
• Prostate cancer with a known significant neuroendocrine component;
• Presence of another concurrent malignancy, with the exception of non-melanoma skin cancer.