Nuclear Medicine Therapy

  Nuclear Medicine, as a treatment protocol for Neuroendocrine Tumors (NETs) has been used in many countries across the globe for many a years. PRRT  or Peptide Receptor Radionuclide Therapy is a type of Nuclear Medicine Therapy in which a cell-targeting protein or peptide is combined with a small amount of radioactive material that created a special type of radiopharmaceutical known as a Radiopeptide. This radiopeptide is injected into a Neuroendocrine Tumor patient’s bloodstream. Unlike healthy cells, the neuroendocrine tumor cells or NET cells have proteins on their cell surface. These proteins, also known as receptors, bind themselves to hormones, such as somatostatin. Peptide Receptor Radionuclide Therapy or PRRT with lutetium 177 dotatate or Lu177 targets these receptors with radiopeptides and deliver a high dose of radiation to the tumor cells. How PRRT for NET works? – Method of Action 1.       A peptide i.e. a group of amino acids is c...

  The incidence of Hepatocellular Carcinoma or HCC has been increasing over the past several years and several studies have projected that the incidence of HCC will continue to rise in the coming years. Transarterial Chemoembolisation or TACE has been the initial treatment modality for HCC and has a huge body of evidence from several studies and clinical trials. Therefore, for long TACE has been a preferred treatment algorithm for unresectable HCC. However, as the experience of  Transarterial Radioembolisation or TARE  has evolved, it is playing an increasingly important role in the treatment of unrespectable HCC. Studies and trials have shown that TARE has many potential advantages over TACE and there is now substantial evidence to favor TARE over TACE. The many potential advantages of TARE when compared with TACE are as below: · Several studies have shown a statistically significant overall survival advantage with TARE as compared to TACE. · TARE has better health-relat...

  How do doctors determine that PRRT should be the treatment of choice for a neuroendocrine tumour? PRRT  or Peptide Receptor Radionuclide Therapy is a molecular therapy that is one of the accepted modes of treatment for Neuroendocrine Tumours (NETs). Before we go on to discuss the above topic at hand, let me explain PRRT. In PRRT, a radiopeptide is created by combining a small amount of radioactive material or radionuclide (Yttrium-90 or Y-90 and Lutetium-177 or Lu-77) with a cell-targeting protein. This radiopeptide, when injected into a neuroendocrine tumour patient’s bloodstream, travels and binds itself to the neuroendocrine tumour cells to deliver a high dose of radiation that targets only the cancer cells. Also Read:  How Does a Typical PRRT Day look like? Doctors recommend PRRT for patients diagnosed with Advanced Metastatic or Progressive Neuroendocrine Tumours (NETs); also for NET patients who are ineligible for surgery; and also for those NET patients w...