When Cancer Has Spread (Metastasized), and If Other Treatments does not Work, Theranostics Can Be Helpful
Theranostics |
Theranostics is the use of
targeted diagnostic tests in conjunction with targeted therapy. Companion
diagnostics, integrated medicine, Dx/Rx partnering, and pharmacodiagnostics are
other terms for it. The incorporation of Theranostics into the patient care
plan (in the case of selected diseases for which diagnostic tests are available
alongside respective therapy) may result in personalised therapy, which may
improve medical outcomes even further. Theranostics refers to the use of
specific diagnostic tests that reveal a specific molecular target on a tumour
or other disease-causing agent.
Any disease pathophysiology
involves specific biological pathways that can be targeted using diagnostic
tests. Diagnostic images of the specific molecule then identify the presence of
a specific mutation or receptors (in the case of cancer), which can then be
targeted with therapeutic agents. This method avoids trial and error and could
be used to provide patient-specific treatment at the right time. Accurate dose
calibration and a precisely targeted approach could be extremely beneficial in
the treatment of chronic diseases like cancer.
For example, neuroendocrine
tumours can be diagnosed and the extent of disease assessed using PET-CT
(Positron Emission Tomography - Computer Tomography) and Ga-68 DOTATOC (a
radioactive positron emitter). Ga-68 is injected through a vein and targets the
somatostatin receptor (SSTR2) on the tumour cell membrane, indicating the
presence of tumour on a PET scan. Furthermore, Ga-68 can be replaced by a therapeutic
agent to target the tumour.
The term Theranostics
is a combination of therapeutics and diagnostics. The term "Theranostics"
refers to the use of one radioactive drug to identify (diagnose) and a second
radioactive drug to deliver therapy to treat the primary tumour and any
metastatic tumours. Tumor cells have a shell called a membrane; certain
proteins on the tumour cell membrane, such as the somatostatin receptor
(SSTR2), can serve as a target for cancer drugs. The radioactive diagnostic
drug Ga-68 DOTATOC targets SSTR2. Ga-68 DOTATOC is injected into a patient's
vein and circulates throughout the bloodstream to all organs and tissues. If
the patient has a neuroendocrine tumor with SSTR2 on the tumor cell membranes,
the Ga-68 DOTATOC will bind to the SSTR2 and the tumor will light up on a PET
scan.
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