{"entity":{"id":"psma-pet","kind":"technology","name":"PSMA PET","aka":[],"tldr":"A prostate-cancer-specific PET scan that finds spread far earlier than CT or bone scan, and tells you whether a matched radioactive drug will work.","summary":"PSMA PET uses small-molecule urea-based ligands that bind the active site of prostate-specific membrane antigen and are internalised, labelled with 68Ga or 18F. Approved agents are 68Ga-PSMA-11 (Illuccix, Locametz), 18F-DCFPyL (Pylarify, with Pylarify TruVu approved in March 2026) and 18F-rhPSMA-7.3 (Posluma). In clinical use since 2020, it is standard for initial staging of high-risk disease and for biochemical recurrence, where it detects disease at PSA below 0.5 ng/mL, far earlier than CT or bone scan. It is also the theranostic gatekeeper: a PSMA-positive scan is required to select patients for 177Lu-PSMA-617, as in VISION and PSMAfore. Around 10% of patients have PSMA-negative disease, and uptake in ganglia and salivary glands can be mistaken for tumour. It finds spread early and predicts whether the matched radioactive drug will work.","status":"standard-of-care","asOf":"2026-09-04","links":[{"label":"VISION: lutetium-177 PSMA-617 radioligand therapy extends survival in advanced prostate cancer (New England Journal of Medicine 2021)","url":"https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa2107322"},{"label":"ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03392428: TheraP (ANZUP 1603)","url":"https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT03392428"}],"tags":[],"related":[],"cancers":["prostate"],"sections":["imaging","radiopharma"],"technologies":["pet","radioligand-therapy"],"targets":["psma"],"drugs":["choline-c11"],"companies":["clarity-pharmaceuticals"],"institutions":[],"pathways":[],"terms":[],"trials":["pop-rt"],"people":[],"bottlenecks":[],"keyPapers":[],"journals":[],"dependsOn":["pet-ct","radiopharmacy-network"],"notes":[],"principle":"Small-molecule urea-based ligands bind PSMA's active site and are internalised.","strengths":["Detects recurrence at PSA <0.5 ng/mL","Theranostic gatekeeper"],"limitations":["PSMA-negative disease in ~10%","Uptake in ganglia, salivary glands"],"since":2020},"route":"/technologies/psma-pet/","neighbours":{"cancer":[{"id":"prostate-bcr","kind":"cancer","name":"Biochemical recurrence of prostate cancer","route":"/cancers/prostate-bcr/"},{"id":"prostate-ductal-adenocarcinoma","kind":"cancer","name":"Ductal adenocarcinoma of the prostate","route":"/cancers/prostate-ductal-adenocarcinoma/"},{"id":"prostate-high-risk","kind":"cancer","name":"Localised prostate cancer, high and very high risk","route":"/cancers/prostate-high-risk/"},{"id":"prostate-mhspc","kind":"cancer","name":"Metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer","route":"/cancers/prostate-mhspc/"},{"id":"prostate-nepc","kind":"cancer","name":"Neuroendocrine and small-cell prostate cancer","route":"/cancers/prostate-nepc/"},{"id":"prostate-nmcrpc","kind":"cancer","name":"Non-metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer","route":"/cancers/prostate-nmcrpc/"},{"id":"prostate","kind":"cancer","name":"Prostate cancer","route":"/cancers/prostate/"}],"section":[{"id":"imaging","kind":"section","name":"Imaging","route":"/fronts/imaging/"},{"id":"radiopharma","kind":"section","name":"Radiopharmaceuticals & Theranostics","route":"/fronts/radiopharma/"}],"technology":[{"id":"biology-guided-radiotherapy","kind":"technology","name":"Biology-guided radiotherapy (RefleXion X1, SCINTIX)","route":"/technologies/biology-guided-radiotherapy/"},{"id":"cyclotron-isotope-production","kind":"technology","name":"Cyclotron isotope production (F-18, Ga-68, Cu-64, Zr-89, At-211)","route":"/technologies/cyclotron-isotope-production/"},{"id":"fes-pet","kind":"technology","name":"FES PET (oestrogen receptor imaging)","route":"/technologies/fes-pet/"},{"id":"gamma-probes-dose-calibrators","kind":"technology","name":"Gamma probes, handheld gamma cameras and dose calibrators","route":"/technologies/gamma-probes-dose-calibrators/"},{"id":"intraoperative-fluorescence-imaging-systems","kind":"technology","name":"Intraoperative fluorescence and Cerenkov imaging systems (SPY, Firefly, LumiSystem, LightPath)","route":"/technologies/intraoperative-fluorescence-imaging-systems/"},{"id":"pet","kind":"technology","name":"PET (positron emission tomography)","route":"/technologies/pet/"},{"id":"pet-tracer-manufacturing","kind":"technology","name":"PET tracer manufacturing and distribution","route":"/technologies/pet-tracer-manufacturing/"},{"id":"pet-ct","kind":"technology","name":"PET/CT","route":"/technologies/pet-ct/"},{"id":"prostate-screening-psa-mri","kind":"technology","name":"PSA and MRI-first prostate cancer screening","route":"/technologies/prostate-screening-psa-mri/"},{"id":"quantitative-imaging-biomarkers","kind":"technology","name":"Quantitative imaging biomarkers (RECIST, PERCIST, SUV, ADC)","route":"/technologies/quantitative-imaging-biomarkers/"},{"id":"radioligand-therapy","kind":"technology","name":"Radioligand therapy (beta emitters)","route":"/technologies/radioligand-therapy/"},{"id":"radionuclide-generators-kits","kind":"technology","name":"Radionuclide generators and cold kits","route":"/technologies/radionuclide-generators-kits/"},{"id":"radiopharmacy-network","kind":"technology","name":"Radiopharmacy and cyclotron networks","route":"/technologies/radiopharmacy-network/"},{"id":"sabr-oligometastases","kind":"technology","name":"Stereotactic ablative radiotherapy for oligometastatic disease","route":"/technologies/sabr-oligometastases/"}],"target":[{"id":"psma","kind":"target","name":"PSMA","route":"/targets/psma/"}],"drug":[{"id":"lu177-psma-it","kind":"drug","name":"177Lu-PSMA-I&T","route":"/drugs/lu177-psma-it/"},{"id":"choline-c11","kind":"drug","name":"Choline C-11","route":"/drugs/choline-c11/"},{"id":"florastamin-f18","kind":"drug","name":"Florastamin F-18","route":"/drugs/florastamin-f18/"},{"id":"flotufolastat","kind":"drug","name":"Flotufolastat F-18","route":"/drugs/flotufolastat/"},{"id":"ga68-psma-11","kind":"drug","name":"Gallium-68 gozetotide (PSMA-11)","route":"/drugs/ga68-psma-11/"},{"id":"illuccix","kind":"drug","name":"Illuccix (kit for Ga-68 gozetotide)","route":"/drugs/illuccix/"},{"id":"locametz","kind":"drug","name":"Locametz (kit for Ga-68 gozetotide)","route":"/drugs/locametz/"},{"id":"pluvicto","kind":"drug","name":"Lutetium-177 vipivotide tetraxetan","route":"/drugs/pluvicto/"},{"id":"pylarify","kind":"drug","name":"Piflufolastat F-18 / Pylarify TruVu","route":"/drugs/pylarify/"},{"id":"psma-1007-f18","kind":"drug","name":"PSMA-1007 F-18","route":"/drugs/psma-1007-f18/"}],"company":[{"id":"abx-advanced-biochemical-compounds","kind":"company","name":"ABX advanced biochemical compounds","route":"/companies/abx-advanced-biochemical-compounds/"},{"id":"advanced-accelerator-applications","kind":"company","name":"Advanced Accelerator Applications (Novartis)","route":"/companies/advanced-accelerator-applications/"},{"id":"anzup","kind":"company","name":"ANZUP Cancer Trials Group","route":"/companies/anzup/"},{"id":"clarity-pharmaceuticals","kind":"company","name":"Clarity Pharmaceuticals","route":"/companies/clarity-pharmaceuticals/"},{"id":"lightpoint-medical","kind":"company","name":"Lightpoint Medical","route":"/companies/lightpoint-medical/"}],"trial":[{"id":"oriole","kind":"trial","name":"ORIOLE","route":"/trials/oriole/"},{"id":"pop-rt","kind":"trial","name":"POP-RT","route":"/trials/pop-rt/"},{"id":"propsma","kind":"trial","name":"proPSMA","route":"/trials/propsma/"},{"id":"nct07052214","kind":"trial","name":"PSMA PET Combined With MRI for the Detection of PCa","route":"/trials/nct07052214/"},{"id":"psma-prerp","kind":"trial","name":"PSMA-PreRP","route":"/trials/psma-prerp/"},{"id":"therap","kind":"trial","name":"TheraP (ANZUP 1603)","route":"/trials/therap/"},{"id":"vision","kind":"trial","name":"VISION","route":"/trials/vision/"}],"term":[{"id":"biochemical-recurrence","kind":"term","name":"Biochemical recurrence (BCR)","route":"/terms/biochemical-recurrence/"},{"id":"disease-volume-chaarted","kind":"term","name":"Disease volume (CHAARTED high-volume versus low-volume) and LATITUDE risk","route":"/terms/disease-volume-chaarted/"},{"id":"metastasis-free-survival","kind":"term","name":"Metastasis-free survival (MFS)","route":"/terms/metastasis-free-survival/"},{"id":"oligometastatic","kind":"term","name":"Oligometastatic disease","route":"/terms/oligometastatic/"},{"id":"psa-kinetics","kind":"term","name":"PSA kinetics: PSA doubling time and PSA density","route":"/terms/psa-kinetics/"},{"id":"prostatectomy","kind":"term","name":"Radical prostatectomy","route":"/terms/prostatectomy/"},{"id":"radiographic-progression-free-survival","kind":"term","name":"Radiographic progression-free survival (rPFS)","route":"/terms/radiographic-progression-free-survival/"},{"id":"theranostics","kind":"term","name":"Theranostics","route":"/terms/theranostics/"},{"id":"tnm-prostate-cancer","kind":"term","name":"TNM staging for prostate cancer, and what changed in the 9th edition","route":"/terms/tnm-prostate-cancer/"},{"id":"prostate-crpc-sequencing","kind":"term","name":"What follows what in castration-resistant prostate cancer","route":"/terms/prostate-crpc-sequencing/"}],"idea":[{"id":"idea-fund-academic-radiopharma-pipeline","kind":"idea","name":"A university cyclotron network with shared regulatory files for new tracers","route":"/ideas/idea-fund-academic-radiopharma-pipeline/"},{"id":"idea-psma-pet-guided-mdt","kind":"idea","name":"PSMA-PET-guided metastasis-directed therapy as a curative strategy in oligorecurrent prostate 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trial","route":"/key-papers/paper-therap-lancet-2021/"},{"id":"paper-fendler-psma-pet-biochemical-recurrence-jama-oncol-2019","kind":"paper","name":"Accuracy of gallium-68 PSMA-11 PET in localising recurrent prostate cancer: a prospective single-arm clinical trial","route":"/key-papers/paper-fendler-psma-pet-biochemical-recurrence-jama-oncol-2019/"},{"id":"paper-psma-prerp-hope-jama-oncol-2021","kind":"paper","name":"Diagnostic accuracy of 68Ga-PSMA-11 PET for pelvic nodal metastasis detection prior to radical prostatectomy and pelvic lymph node dissection: a multicenter prospective phase 3 imaging trial","route":"/key-papers/paper-psma-prerp-hope-jama-oncol-2021/"},{"id":"paper-propsma-hofman-lancet-2020","kind":"paper","name":"proPSMA: PSMA PET-CT versus conventional imaging for staging high-risk prostate cancer","route":"/key-papers/paper-propsma-hofman-lancet-2020/"},{"id":"paper-silver-psma-expression-normal-malignant-tissues-ccr-1997","kind":"paper","name":"Prostate-specific 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Nuclear Oncology Center","route":"/institutions/excel-diagnostics-nuclear-oncology/"},{"id":"inselspital-bern","kind":"institution","name":"Inselspital, Bern University Hospital / University Cancer Center Inselspital","route":"/institutions/inselspital-bern/"},{"id":"irst-meldola","kind":"institution","name":"IRCCS Istituto Romagnolo per lo Studio dei Tumori 'Dino Amadori' (IRST)","route":"/institutions/irst-meldola/"},{"id":"lmu-munich","kind":"institution","name":"LMU Klinikum München","route":"/institutions/lmu-munich/"},{"id":"movember","kind":"institution","name":"Movember","route":"/institutions/movember/"},{"id":"peter-mac","kind":"institution","name":"Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre","route":"/institutions/peter-mac/"},{"id":"pgimer-chandigarh","kind":"institution","name":"Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh","route":"/institutions/pgimer-chandigarh/"},{"id":"radboudumc","kind":"institution","name":"Radboudumc Centre for 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Essen","route":"/institutions/essen-wtz/"}],"pairing":[{"id":"psma-pet-to-rlt","kind":"pairing","name":"PSMA PET → PSMA radioligand therapy","route":"/pairings/psma-pet-to-rlt/"}],"roadmap":[{"id":"molecular-imaging-roadmap","kind":"roadmap","name":"Molecular imaging roadmap: FDG → PSMA → FAP → antigen and immune PET","route":"/roadmaps/molecular-imaging-roadmap/"},{"id":"radiopharma-roadmap","kind":"roadmap","name":"Radiopharmaceutical roadmap: iodine → lutetium → actinium","route":"/roadmaps/radiopharma-roadmap/"}],"person":[{"id":"oliver-sartor","kind":"person","name":"A. Oliver Sartor","route":"/people/oliver-sartor/"},{"id":"declan-murphy","kind":"person","name":"Declan G. Murphy","route":"/people/declan-murphy/"},{"id":"ebrahim-delpassand","kind":"person","name":"Ebrahim S. Delpassand","route":"/people/ebrahim-delpassand/"},{"id":"jeremie-calais","kind":"person","name":"Jeremie Calais","route":"/people/jeremie-calais/"},{"id":"johannes-czernin","kind":"person","name":"Johannes Czernin","route":"/people/johannes-czernin/"},{"id":"ken-herrmann","kind":"person","name":"Ken Herrmann","route":"/people/ken-herrmann/"},{"id":"louise-emmett","kind":"person","name":"Louise Emmett","route":"/people/louise-emmett/"},{"id":"hofman-michael","kind":"person","name":"Michael Hofman","route":"/people/hofman-michael/"},{"id":"michael-morris","kind":"person","name":"Michael J. Morris","route":"/people/michael-morris/"},{"id":"peter-bartenstein","kind":"person","name":"Peter Bartenstein","route":"/people/peter-bartenstein/"},{"id":"rahul-aggarwal","kind":"person","name":"Rahul Aggarwal","route":"/people/rahul-aggarwal/"},{"id":"richard-baum","kind":"person","name":"Richard P. Baum","route":"/people/richard-baum/"},{"id":"thomas-hope","kind":"person","name":"Thomas A. Hope","route":"/people/thomas-hope/"},{"id":"uwe-haberkorn","kind":"person","name":"Uwe Haberkorn","route":"/people/uwe-haberkorn/"}],"bottleneck":[{"id":"b-metastasis-biology","kind":"bottleneck","name":"Metastasis is understood least and studied last","route":"/bottlenecks/b-metastasis-biology/"}],"collection":[{"id":"prostate-cancer-foundation","kind":"collection","name":"Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF)","route":"/collections/prostate-cancer-foundation/"}],"pathway":[{"id":"organ-tropism-seed-soil","kind":"pathway","name":"Organ tropism: seed and soil","route":"/pathways/organ-tropism-seed-soil/"}]}}