New study in JNCCN unlocks important information about how to treat recurring prostate cancer
UCLA researchers found that routine PSMA PET/CT scans could help doctors select treatment approaches for the best long-term outcomes in patients with recurring prostate cancer after surgical removal of the prostate.
2026-02-09
(Press-News.org) PLYMOUTH MEETING, PA [February 9, 2026] — New research in the February 2026 issue of JNCCN—Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network found that incorporating information from prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) PET/CT scans may be able to predict progression-free survival (PFS) and guide treatment planning in patients with rising prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels following removal of the prostate.
The researchers used retrospective clinical data from 113 patients treated for prostate cancer at University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center. All were staged with PSMA PET/CT scans for recurrent disease.
According to exploratory analysis, patients who showed no visible disease on the scans (T0N0M0) had the most favorable PFS, and whole-pelvis radiotherapy (WPRT) had no significant benefit compared to prostate bed radiotherapy alone. However, WPRT did significantly improve PFS for patients with local, visible disease (TrN0M0). For patients with nodal or distant metastatic disease visible on the scans, androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) was significantly associated with improved PFS. Thus, PSMA PET/CT scans may help better tailor therapy for recurrence in this patient population.
“This research highlights the importance of facilitating routine PSMA PET/CT scans in patients with a biochemical recurrence of prostate cancer after surgery to remove the prostate gland,” said Lead Researcher John Nikitas, MD, UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center. “The information from these scans is strongly associated with long-term outcomes and frequently changes treatment recommendations. We found that other measures, like PSA levels, were not strongly associated with long-term response to secondary/salvage therapy.”
The researchers noted that by using PET/CT scans, they may be able to tailor therapies to not only achieve better results but also to reduce side-effects by avoiding any treatments that are less likely to be effective.
“PSMA PET imaging lets us move from one-size-fits-all radiation therapy in the secondary/salvage setting to treatment that’s guided by the anatomy, and perhaps by extension, the actual biology of a patient’s prostate cancer,” commented E. Christopher Dee, MD, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, who was not involved in this research. “This study shows that seeing where the cancer is, even at low PSA levels, may meaningfully shape treatment decisions and could potentially influence long-term outcomes. It’s a step forward in making prostate cancer care more precise and effective and can inform future prospective research in the secondary/salvage radiation space.”
Dr. Dee wrote a longer commentary on the study that is also featured in the February 2026 issue of JNCCN. To read the entire study “Five-Year Outcomes After Prostate-Specific Membrane Antigen PET/CT-Guided Salvage Radiotherapy Following Radical Prostatectomy” and the corresponding “The Last Word” commentary, visit JNCCN.org.
# # #
About JNCCN—Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network
More than 22,500 oncologists and other cancer care professionals across the United States read JNCCN—Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network. This peer-reviewed, indexed medical journal provides the latest information about innovation in translational medicine, and scientific studies related to oncology health services research, including quality care and value, bioethics, comparative and cost effectiveness, public policy, and interventional research on supportive care and survivorship. JNCCN features updates on the NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines®), review articles elaborating on guidelines recommendations, health services research, and case reports highlighting molecular insights in patient care. JNCCN is published by Conexiant. Visit JNCCN.org for more information.
About the National Comprehensive Cancer Network
The National Comprehensive Cancer Network® (NCCN®) is a not-for-profit alliance of leading cancer centers devoted to patient care, research, and education. NCCN is dedicated to defining and advancing quality, effective, equitable, and accessible cancer care and prevention so all people can live better lives. The NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines®) provide transparent, evidence-based, expert consensus-driven recommendations for cancer treatment, prevention, and supportive services; they are the recognized standard for clinical direction and policy in cancer management and the most thorough and frequently-updated clinical practice guidelines available in any area of medicine. The NCCN Guidelines for Patients® provide expert cancer treatment information to inform and empower patients and caregivers, through support from the NCCN Foundation®. NCCN also advances continuing education, global initiatives, policy, and research collaboration and publication in oncology. Visit NCCN.org for more information.
END
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
2026-02-09
Pet owners want quick answers when their beloved cat or dog is sick. And if these furry friends are experiencing digestive distress, lethargy and fever, it’s important to rapidly rule out serious illnesses like feline panleukopenia (also called feline parvovirus) and canine parvovirus. Now, researchers in ACS’ Analytical Chemistry report improved lateral flow assays for at-home screening. In tests on veterinary clinic samples, the assays demonstrated 100% sensitivity and reproducibility for both parvoviruses.
“Feline parvovirus (FPV) and canine parvovirus (CPV) infection can be deadly for pets, and clinical signs alone are often insufficient to ...
2026-02-09
CLEVELAND—A significant discovery by Case Western Reserve University researchers could change how doctors treat two of the most devastating neurodegenerative diseases.
The team identified a link between gut bacteria and the deterioration of the brain in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD). The researchers discovered that certain bacterial sugars cause immune responses that kill cells—and how to prevent it.
FTD mainly affects the brain’s frontal and temporal ...
2026-02-09
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Adults age 65 and older who completed five to six weeks of cognitive speed training — in this case, speed of processing training, which helps people quickly find visual information on a computer screen and handle increasingly complex tasks in a shorter time period — and who had follow-up sessions about one to three years later were less likely to be diagnosed with dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease, up to two decades later, according to new findings published today in Alzheimer’s & Dementia: Translational Research and Clinical Interventions.
This National Institutes of Health ...
2026-02-09
Manchester, UK — Every business depends on biodiversity, and every business impacts biodiversity. The growth of the global economy has been at the cost of immense biodiversity loss, which now poses a critical and pervasive systemic risk to the economy, financial stability and human wellbeing. This is a central finding of a landmark new report published today by the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES).
Even companies that might seem far-removed from nature or that do not see themselves as nature-based rely, directly or indirectly, on material inputs, regulation of environmental conditions - such as ...
2026-02-09
The signals that drive many of the brain and body’s most essential functions—consciousness, sleep, breathing, heart rate and motion—course through bundles of “white matter” fibers in the brainstem, but imaging systems so far have been unable to finely resolve these crucial neural cables. That has left researchers and doctors with little capability to assess how they are affected by trauma or neurodegeneration. In a new study, a team of MIT, Harvard, and Massachusetts General Hospital researchers unveil AI-powered software capable of automatically segmenting eight distinct bundles in any ...
2026-02-09
Mill Valley, CA – February 3, 2026 – CURE SYNGAP1 (fka SynGAP Research Fund), a 501(c)(3) organization, announces a $130,000 grant to Dr. Paul Donlin-Asp, PhD, of the Simons Initiative for the Developing Brain (SIDB) at The University of Edinburgh. The grant supports his work in investigating the molecular functions and regulation of local SYNGAP1 protein synthesis, with the goal of advancing therapies for SYNGAP1-Related Disorders (SRD).
Why We Supported This Project
Dr. Donlin-Asp’s research focuses on a critical aspect of SRD: the production of SYNGAP1 protein at
synapses, which plays a key role in regulating ...
2026-02-09
The irregular, swirling motion of fluids we call turbulence can be found everywhere, from stirring in a teacup to currents in the planetary atmosphere. This phenomenon is governed by the Navier–Stokes equations—a set of mathematical equations that describe how fluids move. Despite being known for nearly two centuries, these equations still pose major challenges when it comes to making predictions. Turbulent flows are inherently chaotic, and tiny uncertainties can grow quickly over time. In real-world situations, scientists can only observe part of a turbulent flow, usually its largest and slowest ...
2026-02-09
Polymer micelles are tiny, self-assembled particles that are revolutionizing the landscape of drug delivery and nanomedicine. They form when polymer chains containing both hydrophilic and hydrophobic segments organize into nanoscale spheres in liquid solutions; these structures can trap and hold drugs that are otherwise difficult to dissolve. Poloxamer 407 (P407), a widely studied micelle-forming polymer, is particularly useful because it changes from a liquid into a soft gel as it warms, becoming most stable near body temperature. This temperature-dependent gelling behavior ...
2026-02-09
A new digital resource co-created by University of Victoria (UVic) researchers and trauma survivors will streamline access to resources and tools for clinicians who support people with complex post-traumatic stress at Island Health in B.C. and other jurisdictions.
To enhance trauma-informed health care for people experiencing complex post-traumatic stress disorder (C-PTSD), an online site has been built to provide the information and tools professionals need to respond to emerging patient care needs. Using multimedia including videos, handouts and quizzes, the tool provides information on C-PTSD, how it affects people mentally ...
2026-02-09
Volcanic activity is not unique to Earth: traces of volcanic activity, such as lava tubes, have been found on Mars and the Moon. Now, the University of Trento has demonstrated the existence of an empty lava tube even in the depths of Venus, a planet whose surface and geology have been largely shaped by volcanic processes.
The cave was identified through radar data analysis as part of a project funded by the Italian Space Agency. The discovery was published by Nature Communications.
"Our knowledge of Venus is still limited, and until now we have never had the opportunity to directly observe processes occurring beneath the surface of Earth’s twin planet. ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
[Press-News.org] New study in JNCCN unlocks important information about how to treat recurring prostate cancer
UCLA researchers found that routine PSMA PET/CT scans could help doctors select treatment approaches for the best long-term outcomes in patients with recurring prostate cancer after surgical removal of the prostate.
