Reston,
VA (December 8, 2025)--As nuclear
medicine theranostics expands rapidly across clinical
practice worldwide, a new supplement to the Journal of Nuclear Medicine
Technology (JNMT) explores how nuclear medicine
technologists are embracing their growing role within the field. Titled, "Building the Future of Theranostics: Advancing
Practice, Education, and Innovation Worldwide," the supplement brings together
voices from across the globe, offering perspectives that span clinical lessons,
educational frameworks, operational strategies, advocacy, equity, and biology.
"From the early use of radioiodine to the expanding reach of prostate-specific
membrane antigen and somatostatin receptor radiopharmaceutical therapies, theranostics has become a defining feature of modern
nuclear medicine," said Kathy S. Thomas, MHA, CNMT, PET, FSNMMI-TS, JNMT
editor-in-chief. "The contributions in this supplement highlight not only where
theranostics is today but also where it must go
tomorrow."
The supplement covers several key areas of
focus: clinical lessons and models for practice; education, workforce, and
competence; science, technology, and artificial intelligence; multidisciplinary
collaboration and radiopharmacy practice; equity,
access, and collaboration; tumor biology and the expanding scope of theranostics; and new frontiers of theranostics
beyond oncology. It also examines finance and sustainability, policy, strategy,
and future directions.
Guest editor Julie Dawn Bolin, MS, CNMT,
FSNMMI-TS, assembled this supplement, which features leading theranostics experts in the field of nuclear medicine
technology. Articles include:
The
Current Practice of Theranostics: Results of a
National Survey and Lessons Learned
Victoria West
West reviews how institutions implement 177Lu-DOTA-TATE
therapy and 177Lu-PSMA-617 therapy in clinical practice.
Framing
Theranostic Protocols: Development, Implementation,
and Insights from Clinical Practice
Victoria West
West outlines the development and
implementation of detailed protocols at Oregon Health and Science University to
support patient care, regulatory compliance, staff training, and reproducible
workflows for therapy administration and imaging.
Establishing Radiopharmaceutical Centers of
Excellence
Prue Lamerton
Lamerton outlines in detail the SNMMI Radiopharmaceutical
Therapy Center of Excellence designation, including its tiers, criteria, and
practical blueprint for establishing new radiopharmaceutical therapy (RPT)
centers. The New Zealand center is presented as a practical framework for
building a center that adheres to the country s rules and regulations.
Radiation
Dosimetry in Theranostics: A Review
Pat Zanzonico
Zanzonio discusses
how theranostics with personalized RPT, based on the
maximum tolerated dose to the therapy-limiting tissue and/or the prescribed
dose to the target tissue, offers the important advantages of lower toxicity
and/or greater efficacy compared to fixed-administered activity radiopharmaceutical
therapy, but requires time-consuming, technically challenging patient
measurements and analyses.
Theranostic Education and Training
Paul Searfoss
Searfoss highlights the critical importance of comprehensive training and
education in theranostics to ensure high-quality
patient care and adherence to regulatory standards.
UAB/SNMMI
Nuclear Medicine Therapy Intensive: Advancing Competence and Innovation in
Radiopharmaceutical Therapy
Amy Brady
Brady describes how the Nuclear
Medicine Therapy Intensive, launched by the University of Alabama at Birmingham
(UAB) and SNMMI in 2024, helps address the urgent demand for advanced training
beyond foundational nuclear medicine education.
Beyond
the Department: Strategies for Educating Non-Nuclear Medicine Professionals and
Future Colleagues About Theranostics
Sarah CV Holt
Holt identifies key non-nuclear medicine stakeholders,
highlights methods of disseminating important information to those identified
groups and establishes tangible processes for assessing competency in theranostics treatments for those with hands-on
involvement.
Using
Smartsheet to Streamline Competency Tracking and Onboarding for Nuclear
Medicine Technologists
Julie Bolin
Bolin describes how Oregon Health & Science University has implemented Smartsheet, a
collaborative work management platform, to organize, document, and streamline
onboarding and competency tracking for technologists in nuclear medicine,
PET/CT, RPT, and CT.
Role
and Qualifications of Nuclear Medicine Technologists on the Theranostic
Team
Cybil Nielsen
Nielson shares how nuclear
medicine technologists serve as essential members of the theranostic
team, integrating technical proficiency with direct patient care to ensure the
safe and effective delivery of radiopharmaceutical therapies.
Theranostics in Practice: Lessons Learned from Clinical Perspectives -
Part 1
Fernando Anleu
Anleu
discusses what nuclear medicine technologists have learned so far through both
clinical and operational experience. He focuses on real-world challenges and
solutions that have come up while working with patients, supporting colleagues,
and building programs that are effective and sustainable.
The
Role of Artificial Intelligence in Theranostics
Geoff Currie
Currie reviews ongoing challenges that must be considered in development
and application of AI tools in theranostics.
Challenges
and Opportunities in Radioligand Theranostics
Geoff Currie
Currie discusses challenges and
opportunities in the realization of precision medicine through radioligand theranostics.
The
Nuclear Pharmacist's Perspective
Kara Weatherman
Weatherman highlights the evolution of radiopharmacy in regard to theranostics, the specialized training of clinical nuclear
pharmacists, and their expanding role in patient-centered care.
Multi-Disciplinary
Approach to Theranostics Around the World - Integration
of Care Teams
Kunthi Pathmaraj
Pathmaraj provides a global perspective on how
multidisciplinary teams deliver theranostic care in
diverse healthcare systems, with contributions from experts across Asia,
Europe, South Africa, Australia, Latin America, and the United States.
Access
to Radiopharmaceuticals in English-Speaking African Countries
Sarah Mosima
Mosima identifies gaps in access to radiopharmaceuticals among English-speaking African
countries, explains why these gaps occur, and shares plans to strengthen access
to radiopharmaceuticals.
Advocacy
in Theranostics: Expanding Access and Awareness
Across Disciplines
Sarah Gibbons
Gibbons details barriers that limit
equitable patient access to theranostic services, such as geographic disparities,
workforce shortages, regulatory burden, inadequate infrastructure, high costs,
and low awareness among providers.
Tumor
Differentiation and the Role of Nuclear Medicine Scintigraphy and Therapy
Julie Bolin
Bolin examines how tumor differentiation shapes theranostic strategy
across thyroid, neuroendocrine, and prostate cancers, with particular attention
to the inverse association between
tumor differentiation and glucose metabolism.
Theranostics Beyond Oncology: Emerging Applications
Sara L. Johnson
Johnson discusses the emerging non-oncologic applications
of theranostics, highlighting current research and
future potential.
Theranostics Finances and Coding of Today and a Look Forward
Dmitry Beyder
Beyder provides a comprehensive
overview of the current financial landscape, coding and reimbursement
strategies, and long-term planning considerations required to financially
support theranostics clinical programs in the United
States.
Theranostics Stakeholder Summit
Cathy Cutler
Cutler shares
a synopsis of the SNMMI Theranostics Stakeholder
Summit, held May 1-3, 2025, where more than 100 stakeholders came together to
develop a path forward to ensure that the enormous potential for theranostics for patients could be realized.
The JNMT supplement, "Building the Future of Theranostics:
Advancing Practice, Education, and Innovation Worldwide", is available at
https://tech.snmjournals.org/content/53/Supplement_1.
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pages @JournalofNucMed or follow us on LinkedIn.
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About JNMT and the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging
The Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology (JNMT)
focuses on the technology central to nuclear medicine. In peer-reviewed
articles, every quarter the journal offers technology-centered articles on
imaging and instrumentation, radiopharmacy, quality
assurance, radiation safety, and more. JNMT also serves as an
invaluable continuing education tool, with teaching editorials, reviews of
programs and certification updates, and continuing education articles. Current
and past issues of JNMT are available online at https://tech.snmjournals.org.
JNMT is published by the Society of Nuclear Medicine and
Molecular Imaging Technologist Section (SNMMI-TS), an international scientific
and medical organization dedicated to advancing nuclear medicine and molecular
imaging precision medicine that enables diagnosis and treatment tailored to
individual patients for optimal outcomes. For more information, visit www.snmmi.org.