For more than 15 years, 61-year-old Glenda suffered from severe, recurring abdominal pain. After repeated visits at doctors' offices and emergency rooms, a CT scan finally revealed the diagnosis: Glenda had neuroendocrine tumors.
Neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) are a rare cancer that requires a highly specialized team with extensive experience to diagnose and treat. Given Glenda’s disease burden and the progression of tumors that were difficult to surgically remove, she turned to the team at Nebraska Cancer Specialists (NCS), a Cassling customer, for personalized therapy and seamlessly coordinated care during her theranostics treatment.
Theranostics, a combination of “therapy” and “diagnostics”, is an approach within personalized medicine that uses radioactive drugs both to diagnose and treat specific cancer types. This method pairs diagnostic and therapeutic biomarkers to different radiotracers targeting the same tumor. Both the diagnostic and therapeutic radiotracers attach to the same specific biological markers. Physicians use molecular imaging modalities like PET/CT to identify who is eligible for theranostics and SPECT/CT during a patient’s theranostics treatment.
By injecting a small amount of radioactive tracer into the body that specifically binds to cancer cells, these imaging modalities allow physicians to “see” exactly where the cancer is located, as the tracer lights up areas containing cancer cells. Once the cancer cells have been localized, a therapeutic drug is administered that travels directly to them, delivering targeted radiation. This “see what you treat and treat what you see” approach allows delivering radiation precisely where it’s needed while minimizing harm to healthy tissue.
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Samuel Mehr, MD, director of Nuclear Oncology at NCS, and Glenda discuss results of the theranostics treatment. |
With molecular imaging cancer cells can be localized as tracer lights up areas containing cancer cells. |
A successful theranostics treatment demands a well-coordinated, patient-centered approach. At NCS, Marlene Bridwell, Registered Nurse, fulfills this need as theranostics nurse case manager, serving as the primary point of contact for patients. Marlene Bridwell oversees each step of the treatment and ensures that patients understand and feel supported in their treatment journey. “My role is to make sure patients get what they need, when they need it,” she explains.
“Marlene’s role is critical for a seamless and successful theranostics program,” Samuel Mehr, MD, director of Nuclear Oncology at NCS says. “Without someone doing what she does, treatments become chaotic for no other reason than poor communication.”
Theranostic treatment has allowed Glenda to regain control of her life, enabling her to work full-time, enjoy her family, and experience symptom-free days she once thought impossible. “On the last day of my treatment, Dr. Mehr told me that he has every reason to believe this is working beautifully for me, but if it doesn’t, there are lots of other things we can do,” Glenda says. “I have complete faith in them."