What is radiopharmaceutical?
Radiopharmaceuticals include a group of radioactive agents used for either diagnostic or therapeutic interventions. Radiopharmaceutical therapy is defined by the delivery of radioactive atoms to disease-associated targets. But do not be confused with radiotherapy, which administer the radiation from outside the body. Radiopharmaceutical instead is delivered systemically or locoregionally, akin to chemotherapy or biologically targeted therapy. The cytotoxic radiation is delivered to cancer cells or to their microenvironment either directly or, more typically, using delivery vehicles that either bind specifically to endogenous targets or accumulate by a wide variety of physiological mechanisms characteristic of neoplasia, enabling a targeted therapeutic approach.
How does radiopharmaceutical work?
Every radiopharmaceutical is designed to travel to a specific part of the body. Once it has arrived at its destination, the radioactive atoms in the drug emit radiation to kill the tumor cells.
Radionuclides with different emission properties — primarily β-particles or highly potent α-particles — are used to deliver radiation. In almost all cases, the radionuclides may be visualized by nuclear medicine imaging techniques to assess targeting of the agent, which provides a substantial advantage over existing therapeutic approaches and enables a precision medicine approach to RPT delivery.
What are the pros and cons of radiopharmaceutical?
Advantages of Nuclear Medicine:
1. Advanced treatment options
Nuclear medicine has digitally and technically enhanced the treatment options for various medical conditions. One such ailment is cancer. Cancer treatment involves radiation and chemotherapy. In severe cases, when patients have lost hope of survival, nuclear medicine has been a blessing to them.
2. Early detection of ailments
Nuclear medicine is extremely capable of detection of highly severe medical conditions. Their precision is what makes people believe in its power. It has helped many physicians and other medical professionals detect difficult possibilities in early stage of treatments.
3. Accuracy is the key
This is the best advantage of nuclear medicine. Its accuracy has made many complicated medical procedures simpler. Its accuracy also allows in depth examination and analysis. The precise procedures do not leave any stone unturned when it comes to treatments. Traditionally for detailed diagnosis, patients had to undergo difficult surgeries and procedures. Nuclear medicine has made it much easier.
Disadvantages of Nuclear Medicine:
1. High operating costs
As much as it is effective, it is expensive! Equipment cost, purchase cost, setting up cost, operations and maintaining, everything come with heavy expenditure. It is one of the biggest advantages of nuclear medicine.
2. Health risks
High or prolonged exposure to nuclear medicine unfortunately results in some serious health issues. These procedures and equipment give away harmful radiation which can be fatal especially to pregnant women and elderly patients. Some cases have also registered incurable ill effects.
3. No guaranteed assurance
What are the marketed radiopharmaceuticals and what diseases are they used for?
To date, researchers have discovered radiopharmaceuticals that can target the following cancers: Thyroid cancer, Brain cancer, Lymphoma and Cancers that have spread to the bones. There are several di erent radionuclides that are used clinically. Among these are iodine-131, which has been used in the therapy of di eren ated thyroid diseases for over half a century. Other clinically used radionuclides include stron um-89 and samarium-153 that can be used to treat and palliate painful skeletal metastasis.
For the purpose of diagnosis, a long list of radiopharmaceuticals have been developed:
Abscess and infection—Gallium Citrate Ga 67, Indium In 111 Oxyquinoline
• Biliary tract blockage—Technetium Tc 99m Disofenin, Technetium Tc 99m Lidofenin, Technetium Tc 99m Mebrofenin
• Blood volume studies—Radioiodinated Albumin, Sodium Chromate Cr 51
• Blood vessel diseases—Sodium Pertechnetate Tc 99m
• Blood vessel diseases of the brain—Ammonia N 13, Iofetamine I 123, Technetium Tc 99m Bicisate, Technetium Tc 99m Exametazime, Xenon Xe 133
• Bone diseases—Sodium Fluoride F 18, Technetium Tc 99m Medronate, Technetium Tc 99m Oxidronate, Technetium Tc 99m Pyrophosphate, Technetium Tc 99m (Pyro- and trimeta-) Phosphates
• Bone marrow diseases—Sodium Chromate Cr 51, Technetium Tc 99m Albumin Colloid, Technetium Tc 99m Sulfur Colloid
• Brain diseases and tumors—Fludeoxyglucose F 18, Indium In 111 Pentetreotide, Iofetamine I 123, Sodium Pertechnetate Tc 99m, Technetium Tc 99m Exametazime, Technetium Tc 99m Gluceptate, Technetium Tc 99m Pentetate
• Cancer; tumors—Fludeoxyglucose F 18, Gallium Citrate Ga 67, Indium In 111 Pentetreotide, Methionine C 11, Radioiodinated Iobenguane, Sodium Fluoride F 18, Technetium Tc 99m Arcitumomab, Technetium Tc 99m Nofetumomab Merpentan
• Colorectal disease—Technetium Tc 99m Arcitumomab
• Disorders of iron metabolism and absorption—Ferrous Citrate Fe 59
• Heart disease—Ammonia N 13, Fludeoxyglucose F 18, Rubidium Rb 82, Sodium Pertechnetate Tc 99m, Technetium Tc 99m Albumin, Technetium Tc 99m Sestamibi, Technetium Tc 99m Teboroxime, Technetium Tc 99m Tetrofosmin, Thallous Chloride Tl 201
• Heart muscle damage (infarct)—Ammonia N 13, Fludeoxyglucose F 18, Rubidium Rb 82, Technetium Tc 99m Pyrophosphate, Technetium Tc 99m (Pyro- and trimeta-) Phosphates, Technetium Tc 99m Sestamibi, Technetium Tc 99m Teboroxime, Technetium Tc 99m Tetrofosmin, Thallous Chloride Tl 201
• Impaired flow of cerebrospinal fluid in brain—Indium In 111 Pentetate
• Kidney diseases—Iodohippurate Sodium I 123, Iodohippurate Sodium I 131, Iothalamate Sodium I 125, Technetium Tc 99m Gluceptate, Technetium Tc 99m Mertiatide, Technetium Tc 99m Pentetate, Technetium Tc 99m Succimer
• Liver diseases—Ammonia N 13, Fludeoxyglucose F 18, Technetium Tc 99m Albumin Colloid, Technetium Tc 99m Disofenin, Technetium Tc 99m Lidofenin, Technetium Tc 99m Mebrofenin, Technetium Tc 99m Sulfur Colloid
• Lung diseases—Krypton Kr 81m, Technetium Tc 99m Albumin Aggregated, Technetium Tc 99m Pentetate, Xenon Xe 127, Xenon Xe 133
• Parathyroid diseases; parathyroid cancer—Technetium Tc 99m Sestamibi, Thallous Chloride Tl 201
• Pernicious anemia; improper absorption of vitamin B12 from intestines—Cyanocobalamin Co 57
• Red blood cell diseases—Sodium Chromate Cr 51
• Salivary gland diseases—Sodium Pertechnetate Tc 99m
• Spleen diseases—Sodium Chromate Cr 51, Technetium Tc 99m Albumin Colloid, Technetium Tc 99m Sulfur Colloid
• Stomach and intestinal bleeding—Sodium Chromate Cr 51, Sodium Pertechnetate Tc 99m, Technetium Tc 99m (Pyro- and trimeta-) Phosphates, Technetium Tc 99m Sulfur Colloid
• Stomach problems—Technetium Tc 99m Sulfur Colloid
• Tear duct blockage—Sodium Pertechnetate Tc 99m
• Thyroid diseases; thyroid cancer—Fludeoxyglucose F 18, Indium In 111 Pentetreotide, Radioiodinated Iobenguane, Sodium Iodide I 123, Sodium Iodide I 131, Sodium Pertechnetate Tc 99m, Technetium Tc 99m Sestamibi
• Urinary bladder diseases—Sodium Pertechnetate Tc 99m
Which companies are working on new development?
Radiopharmaceuticals include a group of radioactive agents used for either diagnostic or therapeutic interventions. Radiopharmaceutical therapy is defined by the delivery of radioactive atoms to disease-associated targets. But do not be confused with radiotherapy, which administer the radiation from outside the body. Radiopharmaceutical instead is delivered systemically or locoregionally, akin to chemotherapy or biologically targeted therapy. The cytotoxic radiation is delivered to cancer cells or to their microenvironment either directly or, more typically, using delivery vehicles that either bind specifically to endogenous targets or accumulate by a wide variety of physiological mechanisms characteristic of neoplasia, enabling a targeted therapeutic approach.
How does radiopharmaceutical work?
Every radiopharmaceutical is designed to travel to a specific part of the body. Once it has arrived at its destination, the radioactive atoms in the drug emit radiation to kill the tumor cells.
Radionuclides with different emission properties — primarily β-particles or highly potent α-particles — are used to deliver radiation. In almost all cases, the radionuclides may be visualized by nuclear medicine imaging techniques to assess targeting of the agent, which provides a substantial advantage over existing therapeutic approaches and enables a precision medicine approach to RPT delivery.
What are the pros and cons of radiopharmaceutical?
Advantages of Nuclear Medicine:
1. Advanced treatment options
Nuclear medicine has digitally and technically enhanced the treatment options for various medical conditions. One such ailment is cancer. Cancer treatment involves radiation and chemotherapy. In severe cases, when patients have lost hope of survival, nuclear medicine has been a blessing to them.
2. Early detection of ailments
Nuclear medicine is extremely capable of detection of highly severe medical conditions. Their precision is what makes people believe in its power. It has helped many physicians and other medical professionals detect difficult possibilities in early stage of treatments.
3. Accuracy is the key
This is the best advantage of nuclear medicine. Its accuracy has made many complicated medical procedures simpler. Its accuracy also allows in depth examination and analysis. The precise procedures do not leave any stone unturned when it comes to treatments. Traditionally for detailed diagnosis, patients had to undergo difficult surgeries and procedures. Nuclear medicine has made it much easier.
Disadvantages of Nuclear Medicine:
1. High operating costs
As much as it is effective, it is expensive! Equipment cost, purchase cost, setting up cost, operations and maintaining, everything come with heavy expenditure. It is one of the biggest advantages of nuclear medicine.
2. Health risks
High or prolonged exposure to nuclear medicine unfortunately results in some serious health issues. These procedures and equipment give away harmful radiation which can be fatal especially to pregnant women and elderly patients. Some cases have also registered incurable ill effects.
3. No guaranteed assurance
What are the marketed radiopharmaceuticals and what diseases are they used for?
To date, researchers have discovered radiopharmaceuticals that can target the following cancers: Thyroid cancer, Brain cancer, Lymphoma and Cancers that have spread to the bones. There are several di erent radionuclides that are used clinically. Among these are iodine-131, which has been used in the therapy of di eren ated thyroid diseases for over half a century. Other clinically used radionuclides include stron um-89 and samarium-153 that can be used to treat and palliate painful skeletal metastasis.
For the purpose of diagnosis, a long list of radiopharmaceuticals have been developed:
Abscess and infection—Gallium Citrate Ga 67, Indium In 111 Oxyquinoline
• Biliary tract blockage—Technetium Tc 99m Disofenin, Technetium Tc 99m Lidofenin, Technetium Tc 99m Mebrofenin
• Blood volume studies—Radioiodinated Albumin, Sodium Chromate Cr 51
• Blood vessel diseases—Sodium Pertechnetate Tc 99m
• Blood vessel diseases of the brain—Ammonia N 13, Iofetamine I 123, Technetium Tc 99m Bicisate, Technetium Tc 99m Exametazime, Xenon Xe 133
• Bone diseases—Sodium Fluoride F 18, Technetium Tc 99m Medronate, Technetium Tc 99m Oxidronate, Technetium Tc 99m Pyrophosphate, Technetium Tc 99m (Pyro- and trimeta-) Phosphates
• Bone marrow diseases—Sodium Chromate Cr 51, Technetium Tc 99m Albumin Colloid, Technetium Tc 99m Sulfur Colloid
• Brain diseases and tumors—Fludeoxyglucose F 18, Indium In 111 Pentetreotide, Iofetamine I 123, Sodium Pertechnetate Tc 99m, Technetium Tc 99m Exametazime, Technetium Tc 99m Gluceptate, Technetium Tc 99m Pentetate
• Cancer; tumors—Fludeoxyglucose F 18, Gallium Citrate Ga 67, Indium In 111 Pentetreotide, Methionine C 11, Radioiodinated Iobenguane, Sodium Fluoride F 18, Technetium Tc 99m Arcitumomab, Technetium Tc 99m Nofetumomab Merpentan
• Colorectal disease—Technetium Tc 99m Arcitumomab
• Disorders of iron metabolism and absorption—Ferrous Citrate Fe 59
• Heart disease—Ammonia N 13, Fludeoxyglucose F 18, Rubidium Rb 82, Sodium Pertechnetate Tc 99m, Technetium Tc 99m Albumin, Technetium Tc 99m Sestamibi, Technetium Tc 99m Teboroxime, Technetium Tc 99m Tetrofosmin, Thallous Chloride Tl 201
• Heart muscle damage (infarct)—Ammonia N 13, Fludeoxyglucose F 18, Rubidium Rb 82, Technetium Tc 99m Pyrophosphate, Technetium Tc 99m (Pyro- and trimeta-) Phosphates, Technetium Tc 99m Sestamibi, Technetium Tc 99m Teboroxime, Technetium Tc 99m Tetrofosmin, Thallous Chloride Tl 201
• Impaired flow of cerebrospinal fluid in brain—Indium In 111 Pentetate
• Kidney diseases—Iodohippurate Sodium I 123, Iodohippurate Sodium I 131, Iothalamate Sodium I 125, Technetium Tc 99m Gluceptate, Technetium Tc 99m Mertiatide, Technetium Tc 99m Pentetate, Technetium Tc 99m Succimer
• Liver diseases—Ammonia N 13, Fludeoxyglucose F 18, Technetium Tc 99m Albumin Colloid, Technetium Tc 99m Disofenin, Technetium Tc 99m Lidofenin, Technetium Tc 99m Mebrofenin, Technetium Tc 99m Sulfur Colloid
• Lung diseases—Krypton Kr 81m, Technetium Tc 99m Albumin Aggregated, Technetium Tc 99m Pentetate, Xenon Xe 127, Xenon Xe 133
• Parathyroid diseases; parathyroid cancer—Technetium Tc 99m Sestamibi, Thallous Chloride Tl 201
• Pernicious anemia; improper absorption of vitamin B12 from intestines—Cyanocobalamin Co 57
• Red blood cell diseases—Sodium Chromate Cr 51
• Salivary gland diseases—Sodium Pertechnetate Tc 99m
• Spleen diseases—Sodium Chromate Cr 51, Technetium Tc 99m Albumin Colloid, Technetium Tc 99m Sulfur Colloid
• Stomach and intestinal bleeding—Sodium Chromate Cr 51, Sodium Pertechnetate Tc 99m, Technetium Tc 99m (Pyro- and trimeta-) Phosphates, Technetium Tc 99m Sulfur Colloid
• Stomach problems—Technetium Tc 99m Sulfur Colloid
• Tear duct blockage—Sodium Pertechnetate Tc 99m
• Thyroid diseases; thyroid cancer—Fludeoxyglucose F 18, Indium In 111 Pentetreotide, Radioiodinated Iobenguane, Sodium Iodide I 123, Sodium Iodide I 131, Sodium Pertechnetate Tc 99m, Technetium Tc 99m Sestamibi
• Urinary bladder diseases—Sodium Pertechnetate Tc 99m