PRRT Therapy
(Peptide Receptor Radionuclide Therapy) presents a reliable and consistent
solution for cancer treatment. It is both versatile in dealing with several
different types of cancer and provides a long-lasting measure to keep the
spread and growth of the tumor cells. Let get into the specifications of it by
taking a more in-depth look.
What is PRRT?
Peptide Receptor Radionuclide Therapy
(PRRT) is a targeted therapy. Medication drugs and are provided to the patient,
that identify and attack the cancer cells and cancer afflicted cells.
Subsequently, the high amounts of radiation provided help reduce the growth and
spread of the cells.
Being a targeted therapy, PRRT is
noted to cause only minor side-effects post-treatment. The majority of the
radiation is concentrated only on the affected cells and not anywhere else in
the body.
How is PRRT administered?
Before the start of the procedure,
certain medications are administered to the patient.
1. Amino acid solution – To prevent the development of toxicity in the kidneys (or
nephrotoxicity), an amino acid solution is infused into the patient.
Analgesia – These help in improving the patient's psychological state
before the treatment by suppressing emotions of apprehension, anxiety, etc. In
the process, this lowers the requirement for anesthetic medication.
2. Antimuscarinics – With the help of these, dry mouth during the treatment process or
xerostomia is prevented.
Prior to administering these
medications, as per the patient's condition, the treatment proceeds –
1.
Peptide protein is bonded with
a radionuclide molecule
2.
The combination is introduced
into the patient's bloodstream through intravenous injection.
3.
The radiopeptide travels
through the bloodstream and enters the cancer-affected region.
4.
It forms a molecular bond with
the protein receptors (somatostatin) in the cancer cells.
5.
Due to a high dose of radiation
content, it destroys the bonded cancer cell.
Due to the targeted nature of this
therapy, the other regions in the patient's body are not harmed. This mitigates
the chances of unnecessary cellular damage.
What are the benefits of PRRT as
compared with other cancer treatment therapies?
PRRT presents a host of advantages and
benefits for cancer treatment. Which is why it is majorly the preferred choice
of therapy. Here are some of the primary benefits of PRRT –
·
PRRT can be personalized to
suit the patient's condition and medical characteristics.
· As a targeted therapy, PRRT
only affects the specified body region, causing minimal radioactive exposure to
healthy tissues
·
The treatment can readily
progress to tumor cells in various body regions, making it suitable for
metastasized cancer conditions
All these present PRRT as a promising
treatment solution for cancer growth.
Does PRRT produce any side-effects?
PRRT is usually well tolerated by
most. However, in certain aberrant cases, it is os associated with a series of
side-effects that produce minimal discomfort and/or hindrance to bodily
activities and functions. These include –
·
Nausea
·
Vomiting
·
Abdominal pain
·
Hair loss
The side-effects type, as well as its
duration, varies from patient to patient, which usually lasts from a few hours
to several days.
Terminologies associated with PRRT
Alpha PRRT
Alpha PRRT
is a variant of the PRRT that utilizes alpha particle radionuclide from
isotopes of Actinium (Ac), Bismuth (Bi) and Lead (Pb).
Lutathera
Lutethera or lutetium 177 DOTATATE is
a medication used in PRRT. It is approved for usage by several major government
bodies including the USA-based FDA (Food and Drug Administration). It is used
in PRRT to create radio-peptide molecules.
Somatostatin
Normally, these refer to hormonal
traces found in the body. Combining with alpha-emitted radioactive particles,
they combine with the alpha radio-molecule to produce radio-peptide, which can
bind with the tumor cells and destroy them.
Bone Metastases
Tumors spread to the bone are commonly
referred to as bone metastases. They generally are the result of cancer tumour
originating in an another body area and being spread to the bone-mass.
Variants
of PRRT
Medical professionals and scientists
have devised different approaches to PRRT which subsequently produced a varying
list of results. Here are the different approaches used –
Bad Berka Approach
This is a specific technique used in
PRRT developed by Dr. Baum and his team at the German town of Bad Berka. As per
this approach, radioactivity would be dispensed on a lower amount at shorter
bursts. This allowed PRRT to deliver treatment
Zentralklinik Approach
This resulted in the performance of
PRRT under a single team comprising of medical professions specializing in an
interdisciplinary approach. It consisted of the following medical specialists –
·
Surgeon
·
Endocrinologist
·
Radiologist
·
Anesthesiologist
·
Palliative medicine specialist
Together, they were able to provide
rapid treatment for patients.
Availing PRRT
PRRT is readily available throughout
the world. India happens to be one of the countries that provide one of the
best facilities and specialists for diagnosis and treatment. This is why, if
you happen to be on the lookout for PRRT, be sure to consider having the
procedure done from there.
For further information and/ or
consultation, Visit NuclearMedicine Therapy, do call or write to us: +91 98111 27080, info@nuclearmedicinetherapy.in
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