Ned Steele has tried many treatments in the 18 years he’s been living with prostate cancer, but none has worked better than PLUVICTO®. Thanks to the efforts of Duke Health medical oncologist Daniel George, MD, and the team at Duke Cancer Institute, Steele was an early user of PLUVICTO for prostate cancer, receiving treatment through a clinical trial before it was FDA-approved in 2022. “PLUVICTO is a miracle drug,” said Steele.
Becoming a Duke Patient
Steele’s prostate cancer was already advanced when he was diagnosed in 2008. He sought treatment near his home in Greensboro and found early success with oral medication and brachytherapy, which places radioactive seeds inside the prostate.
His prostate cancer was under control for several years, until Steele’s prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels -- a marker of prostate cancer -- started rising again. His doctor recommended cryotherapy, using extreme cold to freeze the cancer, but unfortunately, Steele had a rare reaction and his prostate exploded. He was rushed to Duke, where Duke Health urologist Andrew C. Peterson, MD, performed an 11-hour reconstructive surgery to improve Steele’s quality of life.
After surgery, Steele began working with Dr. George, who used a variety of treatments to manage his metastatic prostate cancer. Then Dr. George suggested PLUVICTO. “He told me there’s a new drug coming out that’s had incredible results and they were going to put me on the waiting list,” said Steele, now 76. A few months later, he was approved for treatment.
Hear Ned Steele's experience with PLUVICTO for treatment of his metastatic prostate cancer.
Incredible Results with Minimal Side Effects
Steele received the standard six doses of PLUVICTO -- an infusion given once every six weeks. “It would take about 45 minutes, if that,” said Steele. On PLUVICTO, Steele’s PSA levels plummeted and, other than some fatigue, he experienced no side effects. That’s because PLUVICTO is highly targeted, only seeking out tissue with prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) -- a protein found on the surface of most prostate cancer cells. It attaches to PSMA and enters prostate cancer cells to deliver a high dose of radiation, which kills cancerous cells and bypasses healthy cells, unlike chemotherapy. This means fewer side effects like nausea, vomiting, and hair loss. “Ned’s story is a testament to how patients who persevere can often live long enough to benefit from treatments that didn’t even exist when their journey started,” said Dr. George.
Trying Again
Steele saw great results on PLUVICTO, but when he finished the six doses, his PSA levels started rising again. “I said, ‘Okay, Dr. George, what’s your next miracle?’” asked Steele. “I don't know how he did it, but he got me approved for PLUVICTO again.”
Today Steele has completed four additional rounds of PLUVICTO with two more to go. After experiencing first-hand the benefits of prostate cancer research, he is hopeful that researchers will continue to make new treatments like PLUVICTO so he and others like him can enjoy more years of life with metastatic prostate cancer. “We’re fighting the good fight,” said Steele.
