UC San Diego Health is the first in the region to treat a patient with advanced prostate cancer with a novel drug.
The FDA-approved drug, Pluvicto, is a new radiation pharmaceutical administered through injection or infusion, according to the Oct. 5 release from the health system. It targets cancer cells with PSMA biomarker, a protein found in most prostate cancer cells. The drug can have fewer side effects sometimes associated with cancer treatment, including nausea and hair loss.
Studies show the drug can extend the lives of people with an aggressive form of prostate cancer, even disease in the late stages, the release said.