Neuroendocrine tumor treatment with Lutetium 177 therapy

In January 2018, the FDA approved Lutetium 177 therapy as a treatment method for bronchopulmonary and gastrointestinal neuroendocrine tumors. Further studies show that Lu177 has increased efficiency for patients with somatostatin receptor-positive tumors. Nowadays, medical practitioners find that cancerous neuroendocrine cells with significant responses to PSMA (prostate-specific membrane antigen) and have Somatostatin receptors show perfect results during Lutetium treatment. As a result, a new treatment method was developed. Before starting further treatment, medical practitioners must scan the patient’s body to find all cancerous cells with significant responses to PSMA or check for Somatostatin receptors. A Ga-68 PSMA or Somatostatin PET CT scan is primarily used for that purpose. In addition, to avoid any severe adverse effects, doctors must ensure the patient’s renal system can handle the treatment process well. Mainly, they use renal scintigraphy with 99mTc-MAG3 for that. During a treatment session, a drug with attached Lutetium 177 (a radioactive molecule) injects into the bloodstream. A single procedure might take up to a few hours. When the drug reaches malignant cells, it slowly destroys the tumor and prevents it from further growth and development. The exact number of required procedures and possible outcomes might vary depending on the patient’s condition and many other factors.