Foggia Today
Pet/Ct diagnostics with the radiopharmaceutical 68Ga-Psma-11 (68Gallio-Prostate Specific Membrane Antigen) used in patients suspected of or affected by prostate cancer was successfully launched at the Policlinico di Bari, “the most sensitive examination which, with a single scan of the whole body, identifies all sites of disease, primary and secondary, even in the presence of minimal clinical signs of prostate cancer”, explained this morning during the presentation to the press the director of the Nuclear Medicine operating unit of the Bari Polyclinic, prof. Giuseppe Rubini.
The Nuclear Medicine of the Bari Polyclinic is the first unit in Puglia to introduce this new radiopharmaceutical into clinical practice with the particularity of being synthesized from raw materials directly within the radiopharmacy within the department. “The result comes at the end of a complicated process of procurement of raw materials, synthesis of the radiopharmaceutical, quality controls and certifications, usually the express prerogative of industrial research realities. With this complex organization, the many critical issues have been overcome, including the need to work with radioactive substances in complete sterility, respecting rigorous international protocols and certifying environments, equipment and personnel”.
In fact, the production of innovative radiopharmaceuticals such as 68Ga-Psma must take place in compliance with the monograph of the European Pharmacopoeia and in accordance with the Standards of Good Preparation of Radiopharmaceuticals, all made possible by the modern and innovative equipment and technologies of which the Polyclinic, with an independent investment, he is equipped. “It is a source of pride for the Policlinico to be among the few centers in Italy able to carry out this type of internal production. This innovation makes it possible to guarantee the Apulian patient to receive complete care in his own Region, without having to resort to extra-regional centers, removing one of the causes of healthcare migration ” added the general director of the Polyclinic Giovanni Migliore.
Prostate cancer is the most frequent male cancer and the second leading cause of cancer-related death in men worldwide. Every year in Italy it is diagnosed in about 40,000 men, with a total of 564,000 cases reported in the country, according to the latest report “The numbers of cancer in Italy” by the Italian Association of Medical Oncology (Aiom).