New Prostate Cancer Treatment Launched at Orlando Health Cancer Institute

Orlando, FL (February 13, 2023) –This week, oncologists at Orlando Health Cancer Institute introduced patients to a new drug for treatment of advanced prostate cancer.

The drug, called Pluvicto, is a targeted therapy that delivers radiation treatment directly to cancer cells. It is designed to treat prostate cancer that has spread to other parts of the body and no longer responds to testosterone-reducing therapy. 

Pluvicto works by hunting down prostate cancer cells that express a biomarker called prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA). Once the drug identifies this biomarker, it attaches itself to the cancer cell and delivers radiation that kills off the cell and others around it.

“We’re thrilled to provide this treatment to our prostate cancer patients, many of whom have been fighting the disease for a long time with other treatments and are looking for new options,” said Akash Nanda, MD, director of urologic and hematologic radiation oncology at Orlando Health Cancer Institute. “It is exciting to see that we continue to lead the way in bringing new technology and therapies to help give our patients continued hope in their fight against cancer.”

FDA approved in March 2022, Pluvicto is the newest of a number of treatment options Orlando Health Cancer Institute has added for prostate cancer. Patients will find a team of experts equipped with minimally invasive robotics, radiation technology, along with other cutting-edge tools, including stereotactic body radiation therapy and SpaceOAR, which protects surrounding tissue from the effects of radiation therapy.

To schedule an appointment with a prostate cancer specialist, call 321-841-8650.

About Orlando Health

Orlando Health, headquartered in Orlando, Florida, is a not-for-profit healthcare organization with $8.1 billion of assets under management that serves the southeastern United States.

Founded more than 100 years ago, the healthcare system is recognized around the world for Central Florida’s only pediatric and adult Level I Trauma program as well as the only state-accredited Level II Adult Trauma Center in Pinellas County. It is the home of the nation’s largest neonatal intensive care unit under one roof, the only system in the southeast to offer open fetal surgery to repair the most severe forms of spina bifida, the site of an Olympic athlete training facility and operator of one of the largest and highest performing clinically integrated networks in the region. Orlando Health has pioneered life-changing medical research and its Graduate Medical Education program hosts more than 350 residents and fellows.

The 3,238-bed system includes 23 hospitals and emergency departments – 18 of which are currently operational with five coming soon. The system also includes nine specialty institutes, more than 100 adult and pediatric primary care practices, skilled nursing facilities, an in-patient behavioral health facility under the management of Acadia Healthcare, and more than 60 outpatient facilities that include imaging and laboratory services, wound care centers, home healthcare services in partnership with LHC Group, and urgent care centers in partnership with FastMed Urgent Care. More than 4,000 physicians, representing more than 100 medical specialties and subspecialties have privileges across the Orlando Health system, which employs more than 25,000 team members and more than 1,200 physicians.

In FY22, Orlando Health served nearly 142,000 inpatients and 3.9 million outpatients. The healthcare system provided more than $782 million in total value to the communities it serves in the form of charity care, community benefit programs and services, community building activities and more in FY 21, the most recent period for which this information is available. Additional information can be found at http://www.orlandohealth.com, or follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @orlandohealth.