Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35852555›Full record

ArticleEuropean journal of nuclear medicine and molecular imaging2022

mCRPC patients with PSA fluctuations under radioligand therapy have comparable survival benefits relative to patients with sustained PSA decrease.

Philipp E Hartrampf, Ralph A Bundschuh, Franz-Xaver Weinzierl, Sebastian E Serfling, Aleksander Kosmala, Anna Katharina Seitz, Hubert Kübler, Andreas K Buck, Markus Essler, Rudolf A Werner

Open access · hybridAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in European journal of nuclear medicine and molecular imaging, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
8citing papers in PubMed
2.3field-weighted citation impact, top 11% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

8 citing papers in PubMed, 17 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Evaluation of the safety and efficacy ofEuropean radiology experimental · 2026
    Trial
  2. Article
  3. Use ofWiener klinische Wochenschrift · 2025
    Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Article
  7. Early biochemical and radiographic response after one cycle of [European journal of nuclear medicine and molecular imaging · 2023
    Article
  8. SUVEuropean journal of nuclear medicine and molecular imaging · 2023
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.

Philipp E Hartrampf *Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital Wuerzburg, Oberdürrbacherstraße Str. 6, 97080, Würzburg, Germany.
Ralph A Bundschuh *Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital Bonn, Venusberg-Campus 1, 53127, Bonn, Germany.
Franz-Xaver WeinzierlDepartment of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital Wuerzburg, Oberdürrbacherstraße Str. 6, 97080, Würzburg, Germany.
Sebastian E SerflingDepartment of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital Wuerzburg, Oberdürrbacherstraße Str. 6, 97080, Würzburg, Germany.
Aleksander KosmalaDepartment of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital Wuerzburg, Oberdürrbacherstraße Str. 6, 97080, Würzburg, Germany.
Anna Katharina SeitzDepartment of Urology and Paediatric Urology, University Hospital Wuerzburg, Oberdürrbacherstraße 6, 97080, Würzburg, Germany.
Hubert KüblerDepartment of Urology and Paediatric Urology, University Hospital Wuerzburg, Oberdürrbacherstraße 6, 97080, Würzburg, Germany.
Andreas K BuckDepartment of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital Wuerzburg, Oberdürrbacherstraße Str. 6, 97080, Würzburg, Germany.
Markus EsslerDepartment of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital Bonn, Venusberg-Campus 1, 53127, Bonn, Germany.
Rudolf A WernerDepartment of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital Wuerzburg, Oberdürrbacherstraße Str. 6, 97080, Würzburg, Germany. werner_r1@ukw.de.ORCID 0000-0003-3372-6046
Universitätsklinikum Würzburg · DEUniversity Hospital Bonn · DEJohns Hopkins University · US

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionIn men with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) scheduled for prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA)-targeted radioligand therapy (RLT), biochemical response is assessed based on repeated measurements of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels. We aimed to determine overall survival (OS) in patients experiencing sustained PSA increase, decrease, or fluctuations during therapy. MATERIALS AND

methodsIn this bicentric study, we included 176 mCRPC patients treated with PSMA-directed RLT. PSA levels were determined using blood samples prior to the first RLT and on the admission days for the following cycles. We calculated relative changes in PSA levels compared to baseline. Kaplan-Meier curves as well as log-rank test were used to compare OS of different subgroups, including patients with sustained PSA increase, decrease, or fluctuations (defined as change after initial decrease or increase after the first cycle).

resultsSixty-one out of one hundred seventy-six (34.7%) patients showed a sustained increase and 86/176 (48.8%) a sustained decrease in PSA levels. PSA fluctuations were observed in the remaining 29/176 (16.5%). In this subgroup, 22/29 experienced initial PSA decrease followed by an increase (7/29, initial increase followed by a decrease). Median OS of patients with sustained decrease in PSA levels was significantly longer when compared to patients with sustained increase of PSA levels (19 vs. 8 months; HR 0.35, 95% CI 0.22-0.56; P < 0.001). Patients with PSA fluctuations showed a significantly longer median OS compared to patients with sustained increase of PSA levels (18 vs. 8 months; HR 0.49, 95% CI 0.30-0.80; P < 0.01), but no significant difference relative to men with sustained PSA decrease (18 vs. 19 months; HR 1.4, 95% CI 0.78-2.49; P = 0.20). In addition, in men experiencing PSA fluctuations, median OS did not differ significantly between patients with initial decrease or initial increase of tumor marker levels (16 vs. 18 months; HR 1.2, 95% CI 0.38-4.05; P = 0.68).

conclusionInitial increase or decrease of PSA levels is sustained in the majority of patients undergoing RLT. Sustained PSA decrease was linked to prolonged survival and men with PSA fluctuations under treatment experienced comparable survival benefits. As such, transient tumor marker oscillations under RLT should rather not lead to treatment discontinuation, especially in the absence of radiological progression.

Indexed as

Prostate-Specific AntigenProstatic Neoplasms, Castration-ResistantBiomarkers, TumorDipeptidesHeterocyclic Compounds, 1-RingHumansLutetiumMaleRetrospective StudiesTreatment OutcomeBiomarkers, TumorDipeptidesHeterocyclic Compounds, 1-RingLutetiumProstate-Specific AntigenFlare phenomenonLate responseProstate cancerPSAPSMARadioligand therapy

Identifiers

PMID35852555
PMCPMC9606086
OpenAlexW4285794935

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.