What is Lu PSMA (Lutetium-Prostate Specific Membrane Antigen) Therapy?

Lu177 PSMA Therapy is a treatment for patients with prostate cancer, especially those who have become refractory to conventional therapy. Lutetium PSMA therapy helps to slow down the growth of the cancer cells, reduce the size of the tumours and most importantly improve the quality of life of the patients by reducing the pain caused by the cancer.

Many prostate cancers, in particular those that have spread or become resistant to hormonal therapies, express a unique receptor on their cell surface called Prostate Specific Membrane Antigen (PSMA). When Prostate Cancer metastasizes i.e. spreads to other parts of the body, the PSMA receptor is expressed over the sites of metastases as well.

How does Lu PSMA Therapy Work?

Lutetium-177 is a radioactive substance that emits beta radiation, a destructive kind of radiation. Lutetium-177 is bound to a small peptide which attaches to the PSMA receptor expressed on the cancer cell surface. The Lutetium 177 – PSMA complex, thus attached to the prostate cancer cell, then emits killing radiation causing cell death of the cancer cell. Since the penetration of the emitted beta particle is very small, the surrounding normal cells are spared.

How is the Therapy Done?

Lu177 PSMA is administered intravenously. The patient is admitted to the hospital for 24 hours. A kidney function scan called a MAG3/EC scan is done prior to the administration of the Lu177 PSMA.

What are the Side Effects of Lu PSMA Therapy?

Lu177 PSMA is well tolerated. The most common side effects are a slightly dry mouth, fatigue and nausea. There may also be a slight fall in the white blood cells and platelets about 2 – 3 weeks after the Lu177 PSMA administration.

What is the Response Rate With Lu PSMA Therapy?

The response rates of Lu177 PSMA depend on the tumour biology of prostate cancer, the initial Gleason Score, the extent of disease and the responses to prior therapies. Typically, more than 70% of patients demonstrate a reduction in S. PSA and a shrinkage of tumours following Lu177 PSMA therapy.

When would the doctor consider using this Therapy?

Lu PSMA Therapy is a very specific therapy and is used for managing metastatic Prostate Cancer or when Prostate Cancer is no longer responsive to other types of treatment.

What are the Treatment Schedules with Lu PSMA Therapy?

Most patients undergo three-four treatment cycles at intervals of 8-12 weeks. The number of cycles and the interim duration may vary between individuals depending on the response and interim assessments.

Why should I choose the nuclear medicine therapy center at Fortis Memorial & Research Institute (FMRI), Gurugram (Haryana, India)?

The Nuclear Medicine Therapy Centre at FMRI was one of the first institutes to offer Radio-ligand Therapy with Lu PSMA, and today, the center receives patients from the country and from across the world.

Second Read Terms | Nuclear Medicine Therapy in India

A. Terms & Conditions – PET-CT Second Reading / Second Opinion Service

PET-CT Second Reading Service Provided by Theranostic Physicians Private Limited (TPPL), led by Dr. Ishita B. Sen, Director & Head, Nuclear Medicine & Molecular Imaging, FMRI, Gurugram

1. Nature & Scope of the Service

1.1. The PET-CT Second Reading / Second Opinion service (“Service”) offered via nuclearmedicinetherapy.in is limited to a professional review and interpretation of your already-performed PET or PET-CT scan images and related reports uploaded by you or your authorised representative.

1.2. The Service does not include:

Physical examination of the patient
Prescription of medicines
Emergency medical care
Ongoing follow-up or active management of the patient’s treatment

1.3. The report you receive is an expert interpretative opinion based solely on the quality, completeness, and accuracy of the information and imaging provided by you.

2. No Doctor–Patient Relationship

2.1. By availing this Service, you understand and expressly agree that:

This Second Reading does not establish a doctor–patient relationship between you (or the patient) and any doctor associated withTheranostic Physicians Private Limited, including but not limited to Dr. Ishita B. Sen, Dr. Dharmender Malik, and other TPPL physicians. 
The Service is intended to support and supplement the care provided by your primary/treating doctor, and not to replace it.

2.2. All medical decisions, including diagnosis confirmation, treatment choice, modification, or discontinuation, must be taken only in consultation with your treating physician/oncologist who has direct access to your full clinical history and examination findings.

3. Use of the Second Reading Report

3.1. The Second Reading report is meant to:

Provide a specialised nuclear medicine interpretation of your PET-CT scan 
Help facilitate an informed discussion with your treating doctor

3.2. The report:

Should not be treated as a standalone prescription or directive for treatment 
Is not intended for emergency use or for self-medication 
Must be shared with and interpreted by a qualified treating physician before any treatment decisions are taken

4. Limitation of Liability

4.1. While TPPL and its doctors exercise reasonable care, skill and professional diligence in providing the Service, Theranostic Physicians Private Limited, Dr. Ishita B. Sen, Dr. Dharmender Malik, and any other associated doctors or staff shall not be responsible or liable for:

Any direct, indirect, incidental, consequential, financial or non-financial loss, damage, injury, or harm arising from:
Reliance on the Second Reading report
Any error, omission, or apparent discrepancy in the interpretation
Delays in delivery of the report due to technical, logistical, or any other reasons beyond reasonable control

4.2. You accept that:

Interpretations of imaging studies like PET-CT may legitimately vary between experts, and 
No medical opinion can guarantee specific treatment outcomes or cure.

4.3. To the extent permitted by applicable law, the aggregate liability of TPPL and the above-named doctors, if any, shall be strictly limited to the amount of fees paid by you for this Service.

5. Fees, Timelines & Refunds

5.1. The Service fee must be paid in full via the designated payment gateway (e.g., Razorpay) before your request is processed.

5.2. The current service promise is to deliver the report within 72 hours from the time all required information and valid payment are received. This is a best-effort service level, not a guarantee.

5.3. Delays may occur due to:

Incomplete/poor-quality uploads 
Technical issues with servers or payment gateways 
Unforeseen medical or personal emergencies of the reporting doctors 
Public holidays or regulatory limitations

5.4. As a general principle, once the case has been assigned for expert review, fees are non-refundable. Exceptional circumstances, if any, shall be handled at the sole discretion of TPPL.

6. Patient Data Privacy & Confidentiality

6.1. TPPL is committed to protecting the privacy and confidentiality of patient information.

6.2. By using this Service, you consent to:

The collection, storage, and processing of personal and medical data (such as name, age, contact details, diagnosis, PET-CT images, and reports) for the sole purpose of providing the Second Reading Service and associated administrative tasks (billing, invoicing, audit).

6.3. Access to your data will be restricted to:

TPPL’s authorised medical team 
Limited, authorised operations/admin/IT personnel strictly on a need-to-know basis

6.4. Patient data may be anonymised and aggregated for internal quality improvement, audit, or academic/educational purposes. In such cases, personally identifiable information will be removed.

7. No Sharing of Patient Data with Third Parties

7.1. TPPL will not sell, rent, or share your identifiable patient data with third parties for marketing or commercial purposes.

7.2. Data may be disclosed only if:

Required by applicable law, regulation, court order, or governmental authority, or 
Needed to protect the rights, property, or safety of TPPL, its doctors, staff, or other patients, in accordance with law.

8. Data Retention & Deletion (14-Day Policy)

8.1. Patient data (including PET-CT images and reports uploaded for Second Reading) will be retained on TPPL’s active systems for a maximum of 14 (fourteen) days from the date of report delivery, after which TPPL will delete or irreversibly anonymise the data from its primary systems, subject to any legal, regulatory, or audit requirements.

8.2. However, you acknowledge and accept that TPPL uses reputed third-party cloud and storage providers, such as (but not limited to) Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google, Dropbox, etc., for hosting and backup.

8.3. As a result:

While TPPL will initiate deletion from its systems after 14 days, 
Residual copies of data may continue to exist temporarily in backups, logs, or redundant storage maintained by such providers, and 
These third-party systems may take additional time (beyond 14 days) to fully purge or overwrite the data as per their own retention cycles and technical limitations.

8.4. By availing the Service, you explicitly consent to such cloud-based storage and understand that deletion timelines within third-party systems are not fully within TPPL’s direct control.

9. Jurisdiction & Governing Law

9.1. These Terms & Conditions shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of India.

9.2. You agree that all disputes, claims, or legal proceedings arising out of or in connection with this Service, these Terms, or any related matter shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the competent courts at Delhi / New Delhi, India.

10. Acceptance of Terms

10.1. By:

Accessing nuclearmedicinetherapy.in/second-opinion or /second-read, 
Uploading any patient information or PET-CT scans, and/or 
Making payment for the Service, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agreed to these Terms & Conditions and the Privacy/Retention clauses above.

10.2. If you do not agree, you should not use the Service or should discontinue use immediately.

11. Shipping

Shipping services not applicable.

Second Read - Terms & Conditions