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...

  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...