Integration of Radioligand Therapy In Cancer Care May Improve Patient Outcomes
Cancer remains one of the leading causes of death in the world. While many advances have been made in oncology to determine the best approach to managing the disease and improving patient outcomes, there is no doubt that many patients still experience anxiety in the absence of conclusive and effective treatment options. This reality is compounded for patients with rare forms of the disease.
A deeper understanding of the biology of cancer has enabled specialists and researchers to identify major differences between tumor cells and healthy cells. Such disparities between cells have spearheaded new surgical techniques and therapies to isolate cancerous cells from healthy cells with minimal risk of damage to the patient. Of all such developments, radioligand therapy is an innovative procedure that delivers radiation directly to specific cells.
Targeted radiation is not a new concept. For example, in 1941, radioiodine was used to treat thyroid cancer by targeting cancerous cells in the thyroid gland. However, this form of treatment has since evolved from an organ-focused approach to one that operates on a cellular level. It has been determined that cancerous cells have tumor antigens and molecules that are either underexpressed or absent on normal cells, and Radioligand therapy exploits these surface peculiarities.
Radioligands have two components: a ligand, which identifies cancer cells with a particular tumor target, and a radioisotope for treatment. The ligand is thus equipped to finds cells that present the tumor target irrespective of their location within the patient’s body and deliver radiation directly to them.
There are ongoing efforts to provide patients with personalized treatments ao they can benefit greatly from Radioligand therapy. First of all, different radioisotopes have different properties and can be used for treatment, imaging, or both applications. Secondly, radioisotopes emit radiation with various useful properties and different energy levels that are effective over different distances. Then, this energy is harnessed to either diagnose cancer or kill cancer cells.
Furthermore, the versatility of the treatment is enhanced by the ability of specialists to select other radioisotopes to be attached to the same type of ligand, depending on the purpose, diagnosis, or treatment. In this way, radioligand therapy can be adapted to the unique characteristics of each patient’s cancer, helping to improve treatment.
Currently, very few healthcare personnel are appropriately trained in radioligand therapy, which poses a significant barrier. Education and training are vital for the progress of care models in cancer treatment. As such, oncologists should be equipped with training on radioligand therapy to improve the efficacy of cancer care.
