Radionuclide Therapy for Neuroendocrine Tumours
Radionuclide therapy is used to treat neuroendocrine tumours. It is a type of internal radiation therapy.
About Radionuclide Therapy
Radionuclide therapy uses radioactive materials called radioisotopes that travel through the body. The radioisotope is collected by tumour cells, and the radiation from the radioisotope kills those cells. If a radioisotope is combined with a substance that helps focus the treatment on the tumour cells, other parts of the body will have less damage from the radiation.
A specialized kind of radionuclide therapy sometimes used to treat neuroendocrine tumours is called “peptide receptor radionuclide therapy,” or PRRT. PRRT combines the radioisotope – usually lutetium-177 (Lu-177) – with a somatostatin analogue, and the somatostatin analogue attaches to the neuroendocrine tumour cells.
This type of radionuclide therapy does not work for all neuroendocrine tumours. A patient may need specialized imaging (like Ga-68 DOTATATE PET scans) to find out whether the treatment could be helpful.
Talk to your healthcare team to see if radionuclide therapy is right for you.
Neuroendocrine Tumours
Learn about different types of neuroendocrine tumours (NETs), and find information and links to information about risks, diagnosis, treatment and follow-up care and managing symptoms.
Ga-68 DOTATATE – Oncology Indications for PET Scanning
Find information for healthcare providers, including eligibility criteria and requisition forms for Ga-68 DOTATATE PET scanning.
Radiation Therapy for NETs – Canadian Cancer Society
Find more information about radionuclide therapy for neuroendocrine tumours and side effects of treatment, or contact a cancer information specialist.
Radionuclide Therapy in Ontario
Radionuclide therapy – specifically PRRT – has been available through a clinical trial since 2016. In 2020 it became available as standard of care for some clinical situations.
PRRT is offered at these locations:
- London Health Sciences Centre
- Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
- University Health Network
- The Ottawa Hospital