Hoag Hospital Making Strides In Prostate Cancer Imaging, Therapy

NEWPORT BEACH, CA —Hoag Family Cancer Institute is adding two additional molecular imaging and therapy trials to its arsenal, the first to be offered in Orange County and the United States.

Hoag’s Molecular Imaging & Therapy Program is helping to pioneer the most sensitive imaging and therapy methods to date to advance research and applications of molecular imaging and therapy. These trials are expected to play a significant role in the future of cancer detection, individualized treatment and drug development, and they are available at Hoag today.

The opening of the CD38 myeloma trial offers advanced cancer detection for this rare disease. Hoag is the first in the nation to offer this Phase 2 study, brought to Hoag by Gary Ulaner, M.D., Ph.D., FACNM, director of the Hoag Molecular Imaging and Therapy Program, and funded through the National Health Institute. The trial will test the use of a highly targeted molecular imaging agent in the earliest detection and location of a patient’s myeloma. This could offer oncologists valuable insight into more effective, less toxic, targeted treatment options for this deadly disease.

Dr. Ulaner led the Phase 1 arm of the study before coming to Hoag from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.

The PSMA I-131 trial for prostate cancer will be the county’s first molecular therapy trial funded by Hoag philanthropy.

Dr. Ulaner explained the therapy tested in this Phase 2 trial is a type of radioligand, which is made of two parts: a ligand, which can find specific surface molecules on cancer cells, and a radioisotope which emits therapeutic radiation to kill cancer cells. Because the radioligand can target cells anywhere in the body, they show promise for metastatic cancer treatment.

“This trial will evaluate a promising new therapy against a type of prostate cancer known as prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA)-avid metastatic prostate cancer,” Dr. Ulaner said. “Agents like the one in this trial have been incredibly successful in prolonging patient’s lives and improving their quality of life. We are very excited to offer this to our community.”

Hoag was selected as one of only 41 hospitals in the nation to participate in this trial.

“Hoag is pioneering many promising cancer imaging and therapy studies, many of which I expect will become standard of care in the future,” said Dr. Ulaner. “Orange County patients are gaining access to some of the most exclusive trials. Hoag is pleased to offer this level of personalized cancer care to our great community.”

For more information about both trials, visit www.hoag.org/mit.