Our cancer treatment gets a quality mark
St Bartholomew’s has become the first hospital in the UK to be awarded centre of excellence status for a form of cancer treatment called theranostics.
Theranostics is a ‘two-pronged’ approach to treating cancer that involves finding cancer cells in the body and delivering targeted radiation to kill them.
Positron emission tomography (PET) is used to locate the cancer, followed by an infusion of medicine to destroy it.
Because of its precision, theranostics reduces the risk of harming nearby healthy tissues.
Theranostic treatments can be used against neuroendocrine tumours, a rare type of tumour that can develop in many different organs of the body and which affect the cells that release hormones into the bloodstream.
It is also suitable for some patients with thyroid and prostate cancers.
St Bartholomew’s Hospital began offering selective internal radiation therapy (SIRT), a form of theranostics, for patients with cancer of the liver, earlier this year.
Around 90 patients are expected to benefit from a theranostic procedure each year.
Centre of excellence status is awarded by the European Association of Nuclear Medicine and recognises high quality, personalised care.
The treatment is often offered to patients for whom other forms of therapy, such as chemotherapy, are ineffective.
In general, theranostic treatments do not cure cancer, but they do extend the length and quality of life for people who may need other treatment options.
Dr Tahir Hussain, a consultant radionuclide radiologist and the clinical lead for nuclear medicine at St Bartholomew’s Hospital said: "A growing number of patients are eligible for theranostic therapy and we’re very proud to be recognised for the quality of care we provide.
"The service will be used by patients across north east London improving both the patient journey and experience."
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