The expanding role of nuclear medicine in therapeutic strategies

Malta Medical Journal Volume 20 Issue 1 March 2008 Introduction The concept of carrying a cytotoxic radionuclide directly to cancerous cells is an attractive alternative to conventional forms of radiation treatment. The very close contact between the radionuclide and the cell to be destroyed enables the absorbed radiation to be concentrated at the site of abnormality with the minimal injury to healthy tissue. The concept is not new. After a stalemate period in which radiometabolic treatment seemed to be unfashionable, not only has the already-existing radionuclide therapy returned to be appreciated and widely applied, but novel radionuclide therapies have also come about in recent years. In fact, the European Association of Nuclear Medicine (EANM) has published guidelines for the planning and actuating of most of these therapies. Prospects are excellent and they will revolutionise treatment of some common diseases as their use has been proven in studies and an increasing number centres are applying these treatments all over Europe, even as first-line. This article is a representative overview regarding the current common radionuclide therapy applications and the new radionuclide treatments available.