Radiopharmaceuticals are often used to manage prostate cancer, bone metastases, and neuroendocrine tumors. By concentrating radiation in the area of disease, this therapy helps to reduce tumor size, relieve symptoms, and improve patient outcomes.

Radiopharmaceutical treatment is carried out in a controlled environment under the guidance of a multidisciplinary team who monitors the patient’s progress and adjusts dosage as necessary. This therapy is typically well tolerated, with side effects that vary based on the specific drug. Radiopharmaceutical treatment is part of a growing field in nuclear medicine, offering a targeted approach that complements traditional therapies like chemotherapy and external beam radiation therapy.

The first step in radiopharmaceutical treatment is accurate cancer diagnosis. To do so, patients are imaged with a technique called radiotheranostics. Radioactive compounds are designed specifically to bind to cancer cells, so when they are injected into the body, they go to the source of the cancer.

Once the radioactive tracers are in the body, they emit signals that can be picked up by advanced imaging machines. This enables our radiation oncologists to see exactly where the cancer is located, and how much of it there is. The clarity and detail of the images picked up by Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scans with the aid of radioactive tracers in the body are superior to traditional imaging methods. With this technology, we can identify even small clusters of cancer cells.

Once the cancer has been diagnosed, the radioactive tracers inside the body can then be used to treat it. The radioactive compounds deliver precise doses of radiation directly to cancer cells, sparing surrounding healthy tissue. This precision treatment not only maximizes the effectiveness of radiotherapy treatment, but it also minimizes side effects.

At Oncology Las Vegas we offer radiopharmaceuticals such as Pluvicto and Xofigo for the treatment of prostate cancer. A combination of the terms “radiotherapy” and “pharmaceutical,” these are advanced prostate cancer treatment technologies that can be used to find and treat prostate cancer throughout the body.

Pluvicto (lutetium Lu 177 vipivotide tetraxetan) is an advanced radiopharmaceutical therapy used to treat adults with certain types of prostate cancer, particularly metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) that expresses prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA). Pluvicto is most often administered to patients who have previously treated mCRPC. This targeted treatment works by combining a radioactive isotope, lutetium-177, with a PSMA-targeting molecule, allowing it to bind specifically to cancer cells that express PSMA. Once attached, it delivers radiation directly to these cancer cells, helping to reduce tumor growth while minimizing damage to surrounding healthy tissues. Pluvicto helps men live longer, delays prostate cancer progression, and decreases the size of tumors. Administered as an intravenous injection or infusion every six weeks, Pluvicto is a promising option for patients with advanced prostate cancer.

Xofigo (radium Ra 223 dichloride) is a radiopharmaceutical therapy used in the treatment of metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) that has spread to the bone. Xofigo contains radium-223, a radioactive element that mimics calcium, allowing it to naturally target areas of increased bone turnover, where cancer cells are active. Once the drug reaches the bone metastases, Xofigo emits alpha particles, delivering high-energy radiation directly to the cancerous bone lesions. Xofigo has been shown to improve overall survival for patients with mCRPC and bone metastases. Administered as an intravenous injection, Xofigo is recommended for patients with bone metastases and offers benefits in pain relief, improved quality of life, in addition to increased survival for those with advanced prostate cancer.

Accuracy and precision when it comes to prostate cancer diagnosis and treatment are critical. Using radiotheranostics for prostate cancer screening gives patients the best of both worlds because it enables our radiation oncologists to create a treatment plan based on the most detailed information available.

Having an extremely detailed and accurate map of cancer helps us focus on what is truly needed to treat prostate cancer. Because radiotheranostics is a targeted treatment, it’s often tolerated better than other radiation therapies, with patients typically experiencing fewer side effects. For patients who do experience side effects, side effects may include fatigue, nausea, and loss of appetite.

As exciting as radiotheranostics technology is, it is not suitable for every patient. At Oncology Las Vegas, patients will first meet with a radiation oncologist to discuss their medical history and current condition to determine whether radiotheranostics is the right path to pursue. If it is, the radiation oncologist will order the injection of the radioactive tracer and imaging scans.

Based on the detailed images from the scans, the radiation oncologist will map out the location and size of the cancer and create a customized treatment plan. Finally, the patient will receive targeted radiation therapy from the radioactive compounds in the body. By using the radioactive tracers in the body for imaging and treatment, our radiation oncologists are also able to monitor the effectiveness of the treatment as it is ongoing.

Beginning with the prostate cancer screening and consultation, patients can expect a series of appointments. Throughout the patient journey, our dedicated and caring staff are here to provide support and answer questions along the way.

As a clinic of caregivers dedicated to improving the lives of our patients, we are thrilled to offer this specialized radiotherapy treatment option that leverages the improved accuracy for cancer detection to deliver a highly effective treatment with minimized side effects for patients.

Neuroendocrine tumors are rare cancers arising from hormone-producing cells. Gastroenteropancreatic NETs (GEP-NETs) originate in the gastrointestinal tract or pancreas, often growing slowly but secreting hormones that disrupt body functions. Radiopharmaceutical therapy targets these tumors with radioactive molecules, delivering radiation directly to cancer cells, reducing tumors, and minimizing damage to healthy tissues.

Lutathera (lutetium Lu 177 dotatate) is a targeted radiopharmaceutical therapy used to treat certain neuroendocrine tumors, particularly gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (GEP-NETs) that overexpress somatostatin receptors. This treatment combines lutetium-177, a radioactive isotope, with dotatate, a molecule that binds the somatostatin receptors found on the surface of these cancer cells. After binding to the cancer cell, Lutathera delivers localized radiation to the tumor cells that express somatostatin. Lutathera delays GEP-NET cancer progression and improves the response rate to treatment. Typically administered as an intravenous infusion, Lutathera is often considered for patients with advanced or metastatic GEP-NETs who have not responded to other treatments, offering an effective option with manageable side effects.