Novel radiotracer is safe, effective for treating neuroendocrine tumors
A new radiotracer is safe and effective for treating neuroendocrine tumors and may help reduce the high cost of continuous treatment for many patients.
That’s according to research published in the March issue of the Journal of Nuclear Medicine.
Traditionally, late-stage neuroendocrine tumor (NET) patients receive peptide-receptor radionuclide therapy using the radiopharmaceutical 177-Lu-Dotatate. But investigators found adding a special dye—Evans blue—to the mix was more effective.
The new radiotracer, known as 177-Lu-Dota-EB-tate, was well-tolerated among all patient groups and, with careful selection, could be just as effective using lower dosages.
What’s more, study co-author Xiaoyuan (Shawn) Chen, PhD, says there may also be financial gains to using this new technique.
“In terms of NETs, the more effectively we can use 177-Lu for treatment, the more we will be able to reduce the financial strain on patients,” Chen, a professor at the National University of Singapore, said in a statement. “Overall, this new treatment has the potential to significantly impact mortality and morbidity for neuroendocrine tumor patients.”
The number of NET diagnoses continues to climb, the authors noted, increasing 6.4-fold from 1973 to 2012. And given that such tumors are rare, heterogeneous and slow-growing, upward of 50% are spotted at an advanced stage.
With this in mind, Chen et al. divided 32 patients into three groups, with each given a different dose of 177-Lu-Dota-EB-tate. There were nearly no reported side effects regardless of the amount administered.
Looking over their data, the researchers found a dose of 1.89 GBq/cycle was the most effective for controlling tumors. And with attentive patient selection and vigilant monitoring, a 3.97 GBq/cycle dose could yield a better response.
Going forward, the nuclear medicine specialists hope to extend their treatment beyond neuroendocrine tumors.
“Now that we understand the efficacy of Evans blue dye in NET treatment, we hope that it can be utilized in the future to create various novel therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals not just for NET patients, but for other types of cancer patients as well,” Chen concluded.
Matt joined Chicago’s TriMed team in 2018 covering all areas of health imaging after two years reporting on the hospital field. He holds a bachelor’s in English from UIC, and enjoys a good cup of coffee and an interesting documentary.