Theranostics

Theranostics is a groundbreaking new therapy in the field of cancer, combining two words – therapeutics and diagnostics – offering a dual approach to finding and treating cancerous tumors. You may benefit from non-invasive treatment offered at OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center in Oklahoma City.

Theranostics is a type of personalized medicine that involves advanced molecular imaging tests, such as positron emission tomography (PET), to detect even the smallest deposits of cancer cells in the body. Patients receive a radioactive drug that travels through the bloodstream and binds to cancer cells. Once identified, targeted radiation therapy is administered to kill these cells. Using imaging, healthcare providers can precisely track the drug’s path. This highly targeted radiation technique minimizes the risk to surrounding healthy tissues

How Theranostics Works

Theranostics uses special compounds called radiotracers. These radiotracers are injected into your bloodstream, where they travel to and bind with cancer cells. This process allows your doctors to see the cancer cells on a positron emission tomography (PET) scan and then deliver targeted radiation to destroy them. This method reduces the risk of harming your nearby healthy tissues.

Theranostics may be an option for patients with metastatic disease that have not responded well to standard therapies including chemotherapy. You may become a candidate for theranostic treatments if a PET scan shows that your tumor can be targeted by the tracers.

Types of Theranostic Treatment

OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center uses a variety of internal radiotherapy options as therapeutic treatments including:

• High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) – A noninvasive treatment using high-frequency sound waves to target and eliminate abnormal tissue while sparing healthy tissue
• Lutathera® (Lutetium Lu 177 dotatate) to slow down or stop neuroendocrine tumor growth
  
  Pluvicto® (Lutetium Lu 177 vipivotide tetraxetan) – A radiopharmaceutical used to treat adults withprostate cancer and delivers radiation directly to the prostate specific membrane antigen-metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (PSMA-positive mCRPC) that has spread to other parts of the body (metastatic) and has already progressed after treatment with other anticancer treatments
• Peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT) is a type of targeted or internal radiotherapy that binds to receptors and allows the radiation to damage them
  These treatments use precise radiation to damage and kill cancer cells. The approach is personalized and allows both treatment and therapy to happen at the same time.

Theranostics is generally well tolerated. These personalized approaches allow for simultaneous treatment, generally with fewer and less severe side effects than standard cancer treatments. Although theranostics is generally well tolerated, speak with your provider about potential side effects and whether this treatment is right for you.

Why Choose Theranostics?

Theranostics provides new hope for patients with various types of cancer, including:

• Meningioma – A tumor that grows in the membrane that covers the brain and spinal cord
• Metastatic breast cancer
• Metastatic prostate cancer
• Neuroendocrine cancers such as paraganglioma and neuroblastoma
• Thyroid cancer

Theranostics offers you a more precise and less invasive treatment option compared to traditional methods. Patients that receive theranostic treatments benefit from fewer and less serious side effects. Most are able to return their normal activities much sooner than cancer treatments that involve chemotherapy.

Candidates for Theranostics

Theranostics may be suitable for patients with metastatic disease who have not responded well to standard therapies, including chemotherapy. Speak with your physician to determine if you are eligible for theranostics.

Benefits for You

Theranostics helps doctors find and treat cancer more accurately, making patients feel better faster. It also means fewer side effects because the treatment targets primarily the cancer cells.

• Personalized Treatment: Theranostics offer a tailored approach to your cancer care, ensuring that you receive the most effective treatment for your specific condition
• Advanced Technology: You will benefit from state-of-the-art facilities and the latest clinical research, ensuring the best possible care
• Expert Team: A multidisciplinary team of specialists including radiation and medical oncologists will work together to provide comprehensive care for you, from diagnosis to treatment and follow-up

Theranostics significantly improves outcome for patients with advanced-stage cancers, extending survival and enhancing quality of life.

Expert Care at Stephenson Cancer Center

At OU Health, our approach to theranostics involves a multidisciplinary team comprising radiation oncologists, nuclear medicine doctors, oncologists, theranostic advanced practitioners, and other specialists. Through regular multidisciplinary meetings, each team member collaborates and shares their expertise to ensure the highest quality care for our patients. Our theranostics team is committed to working closely with your oncologist to develop the most individualized and personalized treatment plan for your specific condition, ensuring safe, targeted, and thoughtful care.