When John Corbin was diagnosed with Stage 4 prostate cancer, he was given just five years to live.
Today, 10 years later, Corbin has what he calls an "extra credit" in life to focus on the things he loves, like gardening and cooking. His cancer is under control, and he credits that to a medicine called Pluvicto, a theranostic he received at the University of Kansas Health System.
"I always teased and called it super juice because it was a blessing," Corbin said in a hospital video for the treatment plan.
The specialized approach to care — which combines therapy and diagnostics — delivers radiation directly to diseased cells, minimizing damage to healthy tissue in the process, like a heat-seeking missile.
Soon, the University of Kansas Health System, the University of Kansas Medical Center, and Children's Mercy will partner with BAMF Health, a Michigan provider with a background in theranostics, to create an integrated platform for more patients to take advantage of this life-saving treatment.
That means Kansas City could become home to more cutting-edge research, quicker diagnoses, and new treatments for cancer, neurological conditions and other diseases.
Children's Mercy President and CEO Alejandro Quiroga said at a press conference this week that the approach will help catch disease early and treat it with precision.
"This is going to bring emerging therapies for patients that otherwise might not have that kind of help," Quiroga said.
Theranostics is already used in adult care, and Quiroga said Children's Mercy will be among the first to offer it for kids.
The new collaboration will focus on carrying out radiopharmaceutical production and therapy, molecular imaging, and clinical trials at the same location. That means increased access to treatment for kids and adults.
"Take prostate cancer for example," said BAMF Health CEO Anthony Chang, at the press conference. "We can catch cancer earlier, know where and exactly what it is, and we can treat those kinds of metastatic disease in the most efficient way, without causing devastating side effects."
Chang said this partnership between a hospital, health systems, and university provides the necessary infrastructure to create a center prepared to keep up with a rapidly evolving field of science and medicine.
And, while theranostics is used predominantly for cancer right now, it is also used to treat certain thyroid conditions and is showing promise in other fields like neurology.
"This collaboration will offer patients and their families leading-edge diagnostic and treatment technology," said Tammy Peterman, president of the Kansas City Division for The University of Kansas Health System.
The setup for the new platform will vary, with some steps taking months, and others happening over the course of a year or two. Once complete, there will be an emphasis on local clinical trials for a wide variety of conditions, like Parkinson's disease, cardiovascular disease, endometriosis, pain management and more.
Brenda Gregg, director of programs for the Alzheimer's Association, Heart of America Chapter, said the strides in diagnosis are especially important for Alzheimer's patients, only half of whom are diagnosed.
"While there is no cure for Alzheimer's currently, there are new treatments that can slow the progression of the disease," Gregg said in a statement. "These treatments are only available to individuals in the earliest stages of the disease, making early detection and diagnosis critically important."
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