Phillip J. Koo, MD, presented “Imaging Strategies for GU Cancers: PSMA PET” for the Grand Rounds in Urology audience in February 2021.
How to cite: Koo, Phillip J. “Imaging Strategies for GU Cancers: PSMA PET” February 2021. Accessed Jul 2024. https://grandroundsinurology.com/imaging-strategies-for-gu-cancers-psma-pet/
Imaging Strategies for GU Cancers: PSMA PET – Summary
In conversation with E. David Crawford, MD, Editor-in-Chief of Grand Rounds in Urology and Professor of Urology at the University of California, San Diego, Phillip J. Koo, MD, Division Chief of Diagnostic Imaging and Northwest Region Oncology Physician Executive at the Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center in Phoenix, Arizona, discusses the recent FDA approval of Gallium (Ga) 68 PSMA-11 PET/CT and its implications for prostate cancer care. Dr. Koo discusses the indications for use approved by the FDA, noting the emphasis on PSMA PET/CT’s role in treating oligometastatic disease. He observes that it is still unclear what impact the availability of PSMA PET will have on patient care and outcomes, but suggests that studies like the ORIOLE trial indicate that better imaging will lead to better outcomes. Dr. Koo then goes over the availability and potential of different PSMA imaging agents, noting that while Ga 68 PSMA-11 is the only approved agent and has the benefit of being a generic product, it is prohibitively difficult to manufacture and its supply may always be limited. Not-yet-approved alternatives like the Ga 68 PSMA kit, F-18 PyL, and F-18 rhPSMA could all potentially be easier to distribute but may be very expensive. Dr. Koo also mentions that coverage might be a concern for PSMA generally, and he argues that physicians must fight to ensure that insurance pays for PSMA imaging. The talk concludes with a Q&A session during which Drs. Crawford and Koo discuss whether PSMA will replace bone scans and how PSMA compares to MRI.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Phillip J. Koo, MD, is the Chief of Diagnostic Imaging at the Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center in Phoenix, Arizona. Prior to this, he was Chief of Nuclear Medicine and Associate Professor of Radiology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine in Aurora, Colorado. Dr. Koo completed his transitional internship at the University of Pennsylvania Medical Center-Presbyterian and his radiology residency at Pennsylvania Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania Health System in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He completed his fellowship at the Harvard Medical School Joint Program in Nuclear Medicine in Boston, Massachusetts. Dr. Koo is a diplomate of both the American Board of Radiology (ABR) and American Board of Nuclear Medicine(ABNM). His academic interests have focused on PET imaging in prostate cancer, response to novel therapies using PET, and data-driven motion correction. He has lectured nationally and internationally on topics related to imaging and radiopharmaceutical based therapies in prostate cancer. In 2022, Dr. Koo was the recipient of the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) Presidential Distinguished Service Award.
