On the morning of May 17, 2023, the radionuclide therapy team from Department of Nuclear Medicine and the neuroendocrine tumor team from Department of Oncology of the First Affiliated Hospital (FAH) of Xi'an Jiaotong University (XJTU) successfully implemented PRRT (177Lu-DOTATATE) for a patient with neuroendocrine tumor, who is the first case of this kind in northwest China.
A patient, surnamed Cao, was diagnosed with pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor complicated with multiple liver metastases for more than 2 years. Particle therapy, biotherapy and targeted therapy yielded poor efficacy. After clinical consultation by the teams of Professor Li Enxiao and Professor Wu Yinying from Department of Oncology, 177Lu-DOTATATE treatment was recommended. The teams led by Professor Yang Aimin and Professor Gao Rui from Department of Nuclear Medicine carried out imaging evaluation, qualification acquisition, ward preparation and staff training. On May 17, the department successfully implemented the first case of 177Lu-DOTATATE treatment for neuroendocrine tumors in northwest China, which was of milestone significance in resolving a bottleneck issue in the field of nuclear medicine in China. Lutetium [177Lu] of octreotide injection, the first PRRT drug in China, was adopted.
Professor Wu Yinying stressed that 177Lu-DOTATATE therapy is delivered based on the principle of specific combination of somatostatin analogues and somatostatin receptors. After introducing radionuclides into the patient body, it can precisely target tumor cells like a "nuclear missile" and play a dual role of biotherapy and intra-tumor irradiation, thereby achieving the effect of killing tumors and significantly improving clinical efficacy.
Professor Yang Aimin, Director of Department of Nuclear Medicine of our hospital, highlighted that PRRT has unique advantages. For the unresolved clinical requirements, targeted therapy using radionuclide is becoming a novel treatment solution for tumors, which can achieve the optimal therapeutic effect when it is combined with other therapeutic options.
