This radiopharmaceutical hunts and directly attacks cancer cells.

A clinical trial presented at the Gastrointestinal Cancer Congress of the American Society of Medical Oncology and led by the Vall d’Hebron University Hospital & Institute of Oncology (VHIO), confirms the important role of a therapy based on a radiopharmaceutical for the treatment of a cancer whose incidence has increased more than 500% in the last three decades. These are neuroendocrine tumors (NETs), a type of cancer that originates in neuroendocrine cells throughout the body and together are considered slow-growing malignant neoplasms. However, some are associated with rapid progression and poor prognosis, and in many cases, diagnosis is delayed until patients have advanced disease. Related News standard No Nanorobots reduce bladder tumors by 90% RI Research presents a promising alternative: nanorobots, nanoparticles capable of self-propelling within the body and delivering therapeutic agents directly to the tumor There is currently an urgent need for new treatment options for newly diagnosed patients with advanced or inoperable disease. The results of this trial, carried out on 226 patients newly diagnosed with high grade 2 advanced gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors, reveal a response rate of 43%, compared to 9.3% in the group without treatment with the radiopharmaceutical. The median progression-free survival rose to 22.8 months compared to 8.5 months in those who did not receive Radioligand treatment. This innovative approach uses a radioactive isotope to target tumor cells that express somatostatin receptors on their surface. The treatment was effective, and radioligand therapy is emerging as a promising therapeutic option. «This study marks a potential change in clinical practice for patients newly diagnosed with advanced and aggressive GEP-NETs. The results support additional research on radioligand-targeted therapy in other contexts, consolidating its role at the forefront of oncological treatments. A significant step towards the transformation of the treatment paradigm for patients with neuroendocrine tumors,” highlights Jaume Capdevila, coordinator of the trial.