Experts in theranostics gathered in Reston, Virginia, at a theranostics summit sponsored by the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging. From May 1-3, attendees discussed the current state of theranostics and identified key challenges that the Society should focus on mitigating to increase its utilization.
Theranostics is a nuclear medicine technique in which a pair of radiopharmaceuticals is used to both diagnose and treat disease. So far, significant advancements have been made in treating prostate cancer and neuroendocrine tumors, but the potential of theranostic treatments for other diseases presents exciting possibilities. Unfortunately, the expansion of theranostics faces several obstacles, including declining research funding, operational and regulatory challenges, and a lack of personnel with the proper training.
The weekend workshop was an opportunity for nuclear medicine physicians, pharmacists, technologists, and researchers, as well as leaders of peer societies, industry partners, and patients to come together and directly address these barriers.
“It is critical that nuclear medicine is a leader in the field of theranostics,” said Cathy Cutler, the Society’s president. “This summit is a valuable opportunity to not only talk openly about implementation challenges, but to come up with actionable solutions to further the development and use of theranostics.”
Attendees were pushed to be open and honest about the challenges and think out of the box. The interactive nature of the summit allowed them to be exposed to points of view outside their specialties.
By the summit’s conclusion, attendees left with fresh perspectives and the tools to enhance funding, collaboration, and strategy, ensuring their theranostics programs are successful.
SNMMI has released a white paper with a full summary of the summit.