Reston, VA (November 11, 2025)--The Society of Nuclear
Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) has released a position paper outlining
the education, training, and experience needed to ensure the safe and effective
delivery of radiopharmaceutical therapy (RPT), a rapidly growing form of
precision cancer treatment. Published in October in The Journal of
Nuclear Medicine, the paper underscores SNMMI's leadership in setting
standards and guiding the global expansion of this transformative field.
Radiopharmaceutical therapies, which use targeted radioactive
compounds to treat disease, are reshaping cancer care. Pharmaceutical companies
have invested billions of dollars in developing new theranostic agents and
combination treatments, such as Pluvicto and Lutathera (Novartis), Xofigo
(Bayer) and Azedra (Lantheus). This growing demand is
expected to create the need for hundreds of thousands of cycles of RPT, as well
as hundreds of additional treatment centers and trained professionals worldwide.
Although radiopharmaceutical therapy is not new -- nuclear
medicine professionals have been administering it for nearly a century -- the rapid expansion has drawn growing interest from
practitioners outside the specialty. Safe and effective delivery requires
specialized expertise in radiation safety, dosimetry, and patient management -- skills
developed through years of focused education and experience. Administering
these therapies without proper credentials could compromise patient safety and
treatment quality.
"Radiopharmaceutical therapy represents one of the most
promising frontiers in cancer care," said the authors. "As its use grows, it s
vital that delivery remain in the hands of appropriately trained professionals
to ensure safety, efficacy, and quality."
SNMMI has been preparing for this growth by offering specialized
training programs, establishing centers of excellence, providing accreditation,
developing treatment protocols, and offering guidance for clinical trials. The Society also offers ongoing professional development to
keep physicians, technologists, radiochemists, radiopharmacists, physicists,
and other team members current on evolving technologies and best practices.
The position paper emphasizes strict adherence to safety
protocols (including the handling of radiopharmaceuticals), accurate dosimetry,
and robust radiation safety measures, which are crucial for protecting patients
and ensuring the safe and effective administration of therapies. It highlights
SNMMI's global collaborations with disease-specific and international medical
societies to harmonize guidelines, share innovations, and ensure consistent,
high-quality care worldwide.
"The field of nuclear medicine is poised to drive the
clinical implementation and global expansion of theranostics," the authors
remarked. "Through interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary collaboration,
nuclear medicine professionals can advance the field, innovate productively,
and share and implement best practices worldwide."
The authors of "Radiopharmaceutical Therapy: Rapid Growth,
Rising Challenges, and the Critical Need for Expertise" include Heather
A. Jacene, Brigham and Women s Hospital/Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston,
Massachusetts; Jean-Luc Urbain, Theranostic Solution, Winston-Salem, North
Carolina; Jason S. Lewis, Molecular Pharmacology Program and Department of
Radiology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York; Helen
Nadel, Department of Radiology, Lucile Packard Children s Hospital at Stanford,
Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California; Julie D. Bolin, GateWay Community College, Phoenix, Arizona; and Cathy S.
Cutler, Isotope Research and Production Department, Brookhaven National
Laboratory, Upton, New York.
Visit the JNM website for the latest
research, and follow our new Twitter and Facebook pages @JournalofNucMed or follow us on LinkedIn.
###
Please visit the SNMMI Media Center for more information about molecular imaging and precision imaging. To schedule an interview with
the researchers, please contact Rebecca Maxey at (703) 652-6772 or [email protected].
About JNM and the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular
Imaging
The Journal of Nuclear Medicine (JNM) is the
world s leading nuclear medicine, molecular imaging and theranostics journal,
accessed 15 million times each year by practitioners around the globe,
providing them with the information they need to advance this rapidly expanding
field. Current and past issues of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine can
be found online at http://jnm.snmjournals.org.
JNM is published by the Society of Nuclear
Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI), an international scientific and medical
organization dedicated to advancing nuclear medicine, molecular imaging, and
theranostics precision medicine that allows diagnosis and treatment to be
tailored to individual patients in order to achieve
the best possible outcomes. For more information, visit www.snmmi.org.