Technical advances in image guidance of radionuclide therapy

Abstract

Internal radiation therapy with radionuclides (i.e., radionuclide therapy) owes its success to the many advantages over other, more conventional, treatment options. One distinct advantage of radionuclide therapies is the potential to use (part of) the emitted radiation for imaging of the radionuclide distribution. The combination of diagnostic and therapeutic properties in a set of matched radiopharmaceuticals (sometimes combined in a single radiopharmaceutical) is often referred to as theranostics and allows accurate diagnostic imaging before therapy. The use of imaging benefits treatment planning, dosimetry, and assessment of treatment response. This paper focuses on a selection of advances in imaging technology relevant for image guidance of radionuclide therapy. This involves developments in nuclear imaging modalities, as well as other anatomic and functional imaging modalities. The quality and quantitative accuracy of images used for guidance of radionuclide therapy is continuously being improved, which in turn may improve the therapeutic outcome and efficiency of radionuclide therapies.