September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month – Now Hackensack Meridian Health is Offering a New Imaging Test to Aid in the Diagnosis of this Disease

Hackensack Meridian Health is now offering an innovative prostate cancer imaging test called PYLARIFY® (piflufolastat F 18) at four hospitals in the HMH network. Approved in May 2021, the test uses an injection that is given to a patient through a vein in the arm. That injection binds to prostate cancer cells sending a radio signal which, during a PET scan, shows where the drug is gathering to indicate where the cancer is. A three dimensional picture of the inside of the body, enables doctors to see lymph nodes, bone, and soft tissue metastasis (spread) to determine the presence or absence of recurrent and/or metastatic prostate cancer. 

PYLARIFY is indicated for patients with suspected prostate cancer metastasis who are potentially curable via surgery or other therapy. Patients are considered for PSMA if a blood test shows high levels of PSA. If there is a high PSA level then a doctor may order the PSMA test. It is also indicated for patients with suspected prostate cancer recurrence based on elevated serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels.

PSMA PET imaging with incoming innovative technology that uses biology to guide the delivery of radiation therapy will also help improve patient outcomes. 

Hackensack Meridian’s John Theurer Cancer Center’s  Dr. Adnan Danish is available to discuss the new technology and how it will help patients.