PSMA vs. Axumin: How are they different?

While challenging to outline all the differences between the two studies, here are some of the points related to patient-focused questions we have recently encountered on this subject. PSMA PET scans are FDA approved for -both- initial staging of prostate cancer for men recently diagnosed with certain types of (higher risk) prostate cancers as well as for restaging of men with suspected recurrent prostate cancer.

Axumin has been FDA approved since 2016 but for only for restaging of prostate cancer.

The statistical performance of PSMA PET scans seem to indicate that it performs better in most important aspects of diagnoses such as sensitivity (ability to detect findings) and specificity (once detected, the likelihood those findings are truly related to underlying prostate cancer).

Regarding availability, once again Axumin has an advantage as it has been FDA approved for many years now. PSMA PET Scans, only recently FDA approved, have to go through a ‘ramp up process’ where more and more places will make PSMA, and then more PET scan facilities will be able to perform these scans worldwide.