Strontium (metastron) treatment

[Troy Graham]

Hi Folks. Our current oncologist has advised that they are unable to source Strontium currently and this was recommended as one of the possible treatment options. Can anyone advise if they are currently receiving this treatment and where it is being undertaken. Many thanks.

[Charles (Chuck) Maack]

Strontium 89 has pretty much been replaced by the more recent Radium 223/Xofigo for the many reasons explained in this reference:

 

https://tinyurl.com/y3oyw7eo

 

According to this reference, Radium 223/Xofigo has been approved for use in Australia:

 

https://adisinsight.spri nger.com/drugs/800017421

[alanbarlee]

Strontium (and samarium) isotopes are 'old technology' in the systemic radiation therapy arena, now that radium-223 has entered the scene -  soon to be followed by lutetium-177/PSMA and others.

 

As we write, radium-223 has been approved for sale in Oz by the TGA, but is has not yet recommended for PBS subsidy by the PBAC. A further application from Bayer - the manufacturer - is in the pipeline, however, and you should add your voice to the current advocacy push for it (see Jim's recent  post on this). 

 

Cheers,

 

Alan

[Patrick Turner]

Hi all, 

Correct me if I'm wrong but strontium 89 was for bone pain relief, but does not stop the Pca, but Ra223 does, and is available in Oz from Theranostics Australia and the very brief guide to its use is at   http://theranostics.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Radium-223-Therapy.pdf

I don't know if its approved by Oz authorities. But like Lu177, its available in Oz under Oz law where chemo has failed so a man is free to get what he thinks will work, and with Lu177, only phase 2 trials have been done so far, and afaik phase 3 trials are now being done in USA which will allow more US men to get it under US laws. At my No 4 Lu177 shot 2 weeks ago in Sydney there was one Oz man and myself plus two US men who fly over to get it. 

 

BTW, so far so good with my Lu177, Psa was 25 before any Lu177. It slowly reduced to 3.7 just before 4th infusion, and I am also now on enzalutamide since just after 3rd Lu177, and all seems to be working but scans in 3 weeks will tell me and doc more. There's a trial to start at St Vincents run by Prof Louise Emmett in Sydney with Lu177 combined with enzalutamide and this doc thinks that the enzal effect is to make Pca express more PsMa thus make more Lu177 gather at Pca sites wherever they are, and thus supercharge the effect of Lu177.  

I last spoke to Prof Emmett at Waratah Hospital at Hurstville in Sydney where she was filling in with clinical work for the day on my 3rd Lu177 shot, along with only one other patient, just before getting a grant for her research at St Vincents. She said I must worry about what happens after Lu177 because I may have mutated Pca that makes no PsMa and this can grow to kill, and she suggested getting DNA test for Brca2 gene, likely for me because of my family history, and then I'd probably need more treatment that is not available at public hospitals. This is probably not covered by Medicare, and therefore probably not cheap. 

Patrick Turner.