On most days, Gary could be found on the golf course; after all, Florida is the golf capital of the world. However, in 2007, the now 75-year -old was living in Tampa when he went to a gastroenterologist for stomach pain and breathing difficulties. After a CT scan detected kidney cancer, Gary underwent kidney removal surgery. Three years later, he started finding blood in his urine, only discovering that prostate cancer had penetrated his bladder wall. He was diagnosed with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC).
Gary received treatment in Tampa for nearly four years. Finally, after fighting his cancer with several chemotherapies and radiation treatments, his oncologist told him he had exhausted all options and only had two years to live. So, Gary and his family decided to move back closer to their family and friends in Pennsylvania. A former volunteer firefighter, Gary rejoined his local fire department upon returning home. While simultaneouslyreceiving care at one of the university hospitals in Pennsylvania, Gary would keep busy driving the firetruck.
When Gary’s doctor suggested enrolling in a clinical trial, he searched for a facility that offered one he needed. That’s what led him to Astera Cancer Care. The Astera research team flew Gary and his daughter to Houston, Texas, for qualification testing for a clinical trial called Lutetium 177 (Lu-177), a medication that specifically targets prostate cancer. A week later, he received an acceptance call, and after six weeks of treatment, Gary’s PSA had fully stabilized.
“Just like when you’re fighting a fire, you will do whatever it takes to get the job done,” said Gary. “Astera was the same. They did whatever it took to get the job done.”
It’s been over two years since Gary finished the clinical trial. Finally, in March 2022, the US Food and Drug Administration approved PluvictoTM (lutetium Lu 177 vipivotide tetraxetan), which was formerly referred to as 177Lu-PSMA-617.
The therapy treated adult patients with a certain type of advanced cancer called prostate-specific membrane antigen–positive metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (PSMA-positive mCRPC) that has spread to other body parts. The approval of Pluvicto is a step forward in the clinical
advancement for people with progressing mCRPC, as it can significantly improve survival rates.
Gary was one of 831 patients who were instrumental in approving this new targeted therapy, which drives radiation straight to the cancer itself, and the place where the cancer “lives,” without damaging surrounding tissue.
Astera’s President, Dr. Bruno Fang, led the VISION trial at Astera Cancer Care. `Astera was among the top sites for enrolling subjects, which meant men with prostate cancer in New Jersey had the opportunity to access this drug as part of research long before the therapy’s FDA approval. Astera is a national leader in prostate cancer treatment and research, expanding access to clinical trials and the newest treatments.