Multi-institutional Evaluation of the Cost-effectiveness of PSMA-PET/CT for the Detection of Pelvic Lymph Node Invasion in Newly Diagnosed Prostate Cancer Patients
To determine if the use of Prostate-Specific Membrane Antigen Positron Emission Computer Tomography (PSMA PET/CT) as a selection tool for performing extended lymph node dissection (ePLND) for prostate cancer (PCa) in the primary staging setting results in fewer ePLND procedures and therefore lower overall healthcare costs, lower patient burden in terms of intervention-related complications and morbidity, with comparable disease prognosis, compared to the current European Guideline-recommended standard practice which includes performing ePLND in PCa patients who are candidates for active treatment with a nomogram-calculated lymph node involvement (LNI) risk \>5%.
• Biopsy proven adenocarcinoma of the prostate
• Indication for ePLND combined with robot assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) (MSKCC nomogram \>5%, if not applicable when only MRI targeted biopsies are positive, the Briganti nomogram will be used)
• Suitable for robot-assisted ePLND and RARP
• Mentally competent and understanding of benefits and potential burden of the study
• Written informed consent
• No known allergies for PSMA tracer.