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May 29, 2025 - 7:00 PM
A new and improved method for detecting, tracking and treating prostate cancer is going to be easier to access for people in the Interior Health region as it rolls out in Kelowna.
Prostate-specific membrane antigen positron emission tomography, or PSMA-PET, is the long, scientific term for imaging technology that’s more effective at finding prostate cancer, according to a press release from BC Cancer.
The imaging technology is currently available in the Lower Mainland but it’s currently rolling out in Kelowna, but people in nearby cities like Penticton, Vernon and Kamloops can travel to receive care.
"This year, an estimated 4,165 people in British Columbia will be diagnosed with prostate cancer," Minister of Health Josie Osborne said in the release. "The expansion of cutting-edge diagnostic and treatment options to more regions of the province means that we can better deliver lifesaving treatment to people who need it, ensuring that they are able to live long, healthy lives with and beyond cancer."
BC Cancer raised $6.4 million from 1,000 donors to help buy equipment to expand the use of the technology to Kelowna and Victoria.
"Access to PSMA-PET will be lifesaving for patients facing prostate cancer," BC Cancer Foundation president and CEO Sarah Roth said in the release. "Thanks to the generosity of our donors, people across the province will benefit from more accurate diagnoses and personalized treatment plans – bringing hope closer to home."
The imaging technology has been in clinical trials since 2017, with some use in Kelowna, but it became the standard for care in November 2024.
A new treatment is rolling out along with the new imaging tech, it’s called Pluvicto. It's more effective at targeting cancer cells without damaging the healthy tissue nearby.
The new treatment is going to be coming to Interior Health, Fraser Health and Vancouver Coastal later this year.
There are currently just four publicly funded PET scanners in B.C. Two in Vancouver, one in Victoria, and the other in Kelowna.
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