Largest cancer care provider launches personalised oncology treatment

Australia’s largest private cancer care provider, Icon Group, has announced the launch of theranostics. Combining the elements of ‘therapy’ and ‘diagnostics,’ theranostics offers a personalised cancer treatment that leverages advanced diagnostic imaging to identify cancer cells. This is followed by precisely targeted radiation therapy at a cellular level to treat the cancer, minimising harm to healthy tissue and reducing potential side effects.

The pioneering introduction of this service has taken place at the Icon Cancer Centre North Lakes, situated in the outskirts of Brisbane, Queensland. The initiative is spearheaded by Nuclear Medicine Physician, Associate Professor David Macfarlane, boasting over three decades of clinical expertise and a history of successful development and implementation of various theranostics research programs across Australia.

“Theranostics is revolutionising personalised treatments, enabling doctors to image and treat cancer, showcasing ongoing progress in the field,” remarked Associate Professor Macfarlane.

“Throughout my career, I have maintained a commitment to making theranostics more widely available to patients at a high clinical standard. Safe and effective practice of theranostics requires close cooperation with other specialists and facilities to deliver exceptional care for often vulnerable patients. Icon North Lakes has the infrastructure and resources to support both a clinical service and provide patients with access to clinical trials, and we are delighted to make this treatment option available to our patients,” he added.

Julie Crouch, Group Director of Molecular Oncology, anticipates that theranostics will occupy a pivotal role in the future landscape of cancer treatment.

“This innovative treatment approach brings new hope for people facing cancer, especially those who have exhausted standard treatment options or where symptoms of their cancer are affecting their quality of life,” Ms Crouch said.

“While theranostics has shown remarkable success in treating advanced prostate cancer and neuroendocrine cancers to date, clinicians and researchers worldwide are exploring ways to expand the range of cancers that can be treated using theranostics and increase accessibility to these life-changing therapies.”

Forecasts predict a substantial growth in the oncology segment market for theranostics, exceeding $129 billion by 2025, underpinned by a significant pipeline of industry-funded clinical trials.

Initially, Icon Cancer Centre North Lakes is offering theranostics treatment for metastatic prostate cancer and selected neuroendocrine tumours through Lutetium-177 Prostate Specific Membrane Antigen (Lu-177 PSMA) therapy and Lutetium-177 DOTATATE therapy for neuroendocrine tumours. Actinium-225 based-therapies are also available.

In their application to the Medical Services Advisory Committee (MSAC), the Australasian Association of Nuclear Medicine Specialists (AANMS) highlighted clinical trials conducted using 177Lu PSMA-617, which is under patent with Novartis but not yet registered in Australia.

The MSAC assessment in July 2022 underscored a high clinical need for this population with advanced disease, and a preference for 177Lu PSMA therapy over comparators of best supportive care (BSc) and cabazitaxel. The evidence demonstrated a high certainty that 177Lu PSMA i&t therapy (a non-pharma supported off-patent product produced locally by ANSTO) is acceptably safe and effective, although the cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) was deemed too high and uncertain. An economic resubmission in early 2023 aimed to address the high ICER issue by adjusting the number of doses based on patient response through routine PSA testing. The application was discussed at the July 2023 MSAC meeting, with funding advice to the Minister pending. Presently, anticipated out-of-pocket costs per treatment range from $7000 to $8000 for patients with metastatic prostate cancer.

Icon Group has emphasised that theranostics are delivered within a comprehensive day hospital setting, supported by an experienced nursing and operational team. The company has confirmed plans to extend theranostics services not only within Australia but also on an international scale, promising a positive shift in cancer treatment paradigms.

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