Meet Our Patients: Younas

Lu-177 PSMA Therapy – Available at our Hospitals

Lu-177 PSMA therapy is here. At the forefront of medical technology, we’re always making the most innovative treatments available for our patients at Shaukat Khanum Hospitals.

Meet M. Younas. He’s the first patient to receive Lu-177 PSMA therapy, at Shaukat Khanum Hospital. The 63-year-old, who hails from Jamshoro, Sindh, is undergoing treatment for prostate cancer. Lu-177 PSMA therapy promises better success rates for his recovery and fewer side effects.

Right now, Shaukat Khanum Hospital is one of two medical institutions in the whole of Pakistan offering this high-tech targeted cancer therapy.

Approved by the FDA in 2022, Lu-177 PSMA is a very new cancer treatment. It is also a major step forward in treating prostate cancer, particularly when the cancer has metastasized – or spread to other parts of the body. So how does it work?

Lutetium 177 (Lu-177) is a radioactive isotope. The treatment involves injecting a compound which contains Lu-177 into the patient’s bloodstream. It is designed to seek out and attach itself to specific proteins on cancer cells. And once it has, it then destroys the cancer cells by emitting high doses of radiation.

Lu-177 PSMA is an alternative to Chemotherapy. Compared to other kinds of cancer treatment, it has a remarkably low incidence of adverse effects. By precisely targeting cancer cells, it reduces damage to healthy cells, so patients are able to recover faster.

Over the years, ongoing research and more effective treatment has increased the survival rate in cancer patients. At Shaukat Khanum Hospital, we’ve always strived to stay abreast of the latest available treatment methods for our patients, because we believe that a person’s means or background should not determine whether they qualify for better healthcare. Your trust and support have made this possible.

Treating cancer is not cheap, and we continue to rely on your support. Find out below how a monetary sum, given on a regular basis, can help a patient on the road to recovery.