Radiopharmaceuticals are used to find even the smallest amounts of cancer in the body and accurately treat each identified area of cancer. Radiopharmaceuticals are a very small radioisotope that act like a highly effective guided missile and will travel only to a target that has been identified as unique to a cancer cell. Radiopharmaceuticals can be "Diagnostic" to locate cancer or "Therapeutic" to treat a cancer.The radiopharmaceutical is typically injected into a vein like an ordinary shot. The radiopharmaceutical agent travels directly and only to specific targets on the cancer cells that it was designed to reach. If the purpose was to find the cancer a Diagnostic radiopharmaceutical agent would be used (example Ga68 PSMA). If the goal is to treat the cancer the diagnostic radioisotope would be replaced with a Therapeutic isotope (Lu177 PSMA, Ac225, Cu67 PSMA) and then the radiopharmaceutical would travel to the same cancer cells to destroy.

Theranostics is a term commonly used in this developing field. It is a combination of "Thera" from Therapeutic and "nostics" from Diagnostics. Again defining the ability of radiopharmaceuticals to be both diagnostic and therapeutic.

These are in clinical trials today to expand the knowledge on effectiveness and safety/side effects. We expect no side effects with "Diagnostic" radioisotopes and considered them to be very safe. For the most part to date, the "Therapeutic" radioisotopes appear to be very well tolerated with minimal to manageable side effects.  This depends on the radioisotope used (Lu177, Ac225, Th227, Cu67), the dose used, the type of cancer, the extent of cancer, and more.

Prostate cancer is leading the charge when it comes to radiopharmaceutical development and UCC is at the head of that charge. Lu177 PSMA was the first agent focused on for prostate cancer. Until recently it was only available for a very high dollar amount in Germany and Australia. Reports flooding the internet and social media about men looking at hospice having complete responses to radiopharmaceuticals with minimal side effects.A large Global clinical trial with Lu177PSMA was studied. 800 men worldwide were enrolled. UCC enrolled the first patient in the world and enrolled more than 50 of the 800 patients. Patients traveled to UCC from coast to coast for this treatment. Newer agents that have equal excitement around them, Ac225, Th227, Cu67 are now entering clinical trials for the first time in the U.S. Three centers have been chosen to perform these clinical trials: Memorial Sloan Kettering (NYC), Tulane (New Orleans), and The Urology Cancer Center (Omaha).