Gastro-Enteric-Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumor Treatment: Actinium-225-DOTATATE and Combined Therapies

The role of lutetium-177-DOTATATE in advanced well-differentiated gastro-entero-pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors is well established. However, there is a scope for improving treatment outcomes. Actinium-225-DOTATATE is a form of targeted alpha therapy (TAT) that results in more efficient tumor cell killing owing to the substantially higher linear energy transfer of alpha particles. Systemic TAT is also safe given that the shorter path length of the alpha particles spares the surrounding healthy tissue and results in relatively fewer adverse events. Combination therapies with radiosensitizing and other chemotherapeutic agents have also gained popularity, especially in the setting of higher grade and fluorodeoxyglucose-avid tumors.