New technology and treatment by BC Cancer is bringing a prostate-specific scan to Kelowna.
A Prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) positron emission tomography (PET) scan, which gives physicians more accurate and detailed information to guide treatment decisions and provide patients with the best-possible outcomes.
This new imaging is more accurate at finding possible prostate cancer than conventional medical imaging. The advanced technique uses radioactive tracers to target a specific protein that's overexpressed on the surface of prostate cancer cells.
"This year, an estimated 4,165 people in British Columbia will be diagnosed with prostate cancer," said Josie Osborne, Minister of Health. "The expansion of cutting-edge diagnostic and treatment options to more regions of the province means that we can better deliver lifesaving treatment to people who need it, ensuring that they are able to live long, healthy lives with and beyond cancer."
The imaging technology is already accessible in the Lower Mainland, becoming available in Kelowna in May, and Victoria sometime in June. It became a standard care practice in 2024 after clinical trials since 2017.
In order to bring the advancement to Kelowna and Victoria, after the BC Cancer Foundation launched a fundraising campaign in 2021 specifically to do so. In that time, over 1,000 donors raised $6.4 million for the purchase of equipment, renovations and start-up costs.
Pluvicto (lutetium vipivotide tetraxetan), a new cancer treatment for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer, will be available in the Interior Health (IH) region later this year.
"The radiopharmaceutical treatment finds and binds to cancer cells, targeting them with high-energy radiation and delivering more effective treatment with less damage to surrounding healthy tissues," reads a BC Cancer press release.
The treatment is being rolled out throughout the province, starting in the Lower Mainland and Victoria in June. Along with IH, expanded access within Fraser Health and Vancouver Coastal will occur later this year.
