Why an individual hospital estimate comes first
For international self-paying patients, a useful German quotation is normally prepared after the medical records have been reviewed and the responsible clinical team has defined the expected treatment. The estimate may require advance payment and can later change if the actual treatment episode differs from the original plan.
- Medical-record review
- Defined treatment plan
- Written cost estimate
- Advance payment when required
- Additional services if the clinical course changes
- Final invoice after treatment
Eligibility assessment is part of the financial pathway
A quotation should not be treated as meaningful until the nuclear-medicine and oncology teams have reviewed the disease history, previous therapies and PSMA imaging. If the specialist review concludes that another treatment is more appropriate, the planned PSMA episode and therefore its cost can change completely.
What can change the total cost
PSMA radioligand therapy is not just the administration of one radioactive medicine.
- Specialist oncology and nuclear-medicine review
- PSMA PET/CT and other eligibility imaging when required
- Kidney function, blood counts and other laboratory assessment
- Number of Lu-177 PSMA treatment cycles
- Inpatient nuclear-medicine admission required for each treatment episode
- Supportive medication and monitoring
- Response imaging and laboratory follow-up
- Additional treatment if the disease course changes
Do not multiply one cycle price without confirming the protocol
The number and timing of cycles are clinical decisions. Charité's current patient information describes a multi-cycle pathway with response assessment during treatment. International patients should therefore ask for a quotation that states the assumed number of cycles and what happens financially if treatment stops early, is extended or changes after reassessment.
Budget for repeated travel or a longer stay
Depending on the treatment schedule and the center's follow-up requirements, an international patient may need repeated trips to Germany or accommodation between appointments. Travel, companion and accommodation costs usually sit outside the hospital invoice unless explicitly included.
Official sources
Sources last checked 2026-09-07.