Episode 4: Nuclear Medicine for NETs: What is PRRT?

Treating NETs with Nuclear Medicine

This episode of NETRF’s NETWise podcast discusses Peptide Receptor Radionuclide Therapy (PRRT) a targeted form of radiotherapy approved in the U.S. in 2018. Listen in as NET experts like Josh Mailman, Drs. George Fisher, Thor Halfdanarson, Ed Wolin, Richard Baum, and others explain what it is, how it works, and who is most likely to benefit from PRRT. This therapy relies on a tumor’s expression of somatostatin receptors. We explain what they are and how to know if you have them.

Then, we’ll take an objective look at the success rates for this therapy. What does research, like the NETTER-1 study, tell us about outcomes for this form of treatment? To give you information about both the pros and cons of PRRT, we will also discuss the potential side effects, from mild to serious. To give you a sense of what it is like to undergo PRRT, we’ll talk with multiple patients about their experience with the procedure itself, as well as the radiation safety precautions patients should take immediately following treatment. Finally, we look to the future asking Drs. Rod Hicks and Tom Hope to explain some of the new therapeutic directions PRRT is taking.

Use our episode infographics to get a visual picture of some of the things we have discussed.