PSMA PET CT Imaging

Medically reviewed by Dr. Alex Tamm, BMSc, MD (STIR), FRCPC

What is a PSMA PET CT scan?

A PSMA PET CT scan is an advanced form of hybrid diagnostic imaging that uses a prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) to localize cancer lesions in prostate cancer. Prostate cancer is the fourth most common cancer in Canada and represents the number one most common cancer in men (Government of Canada, 2021). PSMA PET CT imaging is state-of-the-art and is changing how prostate cancer is detected and, ultimately, treated in patients across Alberta.

How does a PSMA PET CT work?

PSMA is a protein located on the surface of prostate tissue cells that is overexpressed in prostate cancer cells. During a PSMA PET CT scan, we inject a radiotracer that targets the specific protein.

The PET scanner detects where the radiotracer concentrates to demonstrate where prostate cancer cells are located in the body.

The degree of uptake has been shown to correlate with the aggressivity of the tumour on pathology. Information from PSMA PET CT scans can impact treatment decisions at almost all stages.

More specifically, PSMA PET CT can help diagnose prostate cancer initially, identify cancer that has come back after treatment, or localize cancer that has spread to other parts of the body. It can also be used as a troubleshooting tool in the setting of other equivocal testing.

PSMA PET CT imaging is a hybrid scan, meaning the single machine can simultaneously capture cross-sectional images of the body from CT and cellular structure from PET during a single visit. Combining the two tests can save time and increase accuracy compared to performing these tests separately.

How does PSMA PET CT compare to conventional staging exams with MRI or CT?

PSMA PET CT is considered a valuable tool in the clinical management of prostate cancer. It is the single most sensitive imaging test available to assess prostate cancer (Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, 2021).

It has shown promising results in the initial staging of prostate cancer, identification of recurrent or persistent disease, and assessment of metastatic disease at different stages. PSMA imaging has been shown to impact treatment decisions and occasionally open new potential treatment options for patients.

If PSMA PET CT is so new, why should I choose MIC for my scan?

MIC’s radiologists have clinical experience reading these specialized diagnostic imaging scans. Our team of dual-certified radiologists (Diagnostic Radiology & Nuclear Medicine) are the same physicians who report PSMA PET CT studies at the University of Alberta and Royal Alexandra Hospitals.

Our physicians were part of the original trials bringing PSMA PET CT to Alberta at the University of Alberta Hospital and multiple subsequent trials at both the Royal Alexandra and University of Alberta hospitals.

They bring that same expertise to the imaging services at MIC Medical Imaging. One of MIC’s radiologists – Dr. Jonathan Abele, was part of the original clinical collaboration that scanned the first patient in Alberta in August 2021!