Clinical Experience with [²²⁵Ac]Ac-PSMA Treatment in Patients with [¹⁷⁷Lu]Lu-PSMA-Refractory Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer

For patients with advanced-stage metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) who do not respond to [¹⁷⁷Lu]Lu-PSMA therapy, there are limited treatment options. Clinical results obtained with [²²⁵Ac]Ac-PSMA are promising. We retrospectively analyzed the outcomes of patients treated with [²²⁵Ac]Ac-PSMA between December 2018 and October 2022. Methods: We evaluated the treatment results of 23 patients (mean age, 70.3 ± 8.8 y) with mCRPC who were refractory to treatment with [¹⁷⁷Lu]Lu-PSMA (2-9 cycles). The safety profile was assessed according to Common Technology Criteria for Adverse Events version 5.0. Treatment efficacy was assessed using prostate-specific membrane antigen PET progression criteria and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) response according to Prostate Cancer Working Group 2 criteria after the first cycle of [²²⁵Ac]Ac-PSMA treatment. Results: All patients received androgen-deprivation therapy, whereas 22 (96%) and 19 (83%) patients received chemotherapy and second-generation antiandrogen therapy, respectively. One patient received 4 cycles, 2 received 3 cycles, 8 received 2 cycles, and 12 received 1 cycle of [²²⁵Ac]Ac-PSMA. The median interval between cycles was 13 wk (range, 8-28 wk). [²²⁵Ac]Ac-PSMA was administered with a mean activity of 7.6 MBq (range, 6.2-10.0 MBq) in each cycle. Patients were at an advanced stage of disease, and tumor burden was very high. Although the best PSA response was observed in 5 patients (26%) after [²²⁵Ac]Ac-PSMA treatment, there was at least some level of decline in PSA observed in 11 patients (58%; n = 19). Treatment response was assessed in patients who underwent [⁶⁸Ga]Ga-PSMA PET/CT imaging. After the first cycle of treatment (n = 18), 50% of patients (n = 9) showed disease progression according to prostate-specific membrane antigen PET progression criteria, and the disease control rate was calculated to be 50%. Median progression-free survival was 3.1 mo, and median overall survival was 7.7 mo. Grade 3 hematologic toxicity occurred in 1 patient, and grade 3 nephrotoxicity was observed in another patient. Parotid SUV_max decreased by 33%, although all patients complained of dry mouth before treatment. Conclusion: We observed that [²²⁵Ac]Ac-PSMA therapy was safe and showed potential even in cases with advanced-stage mCRPC in which all other treatment options were completed.