Answering the Call for Radiation Oncologists to Direct Radiopharmaceutical Therapy: Forget the Professional Fee and Get the Hospital to Pay for Support Staff, Infrastructure, and Supplies.

Radiation oncology working groups and thought leaders are calling on radiation oncologists to take the initiative in directing radiopharmaceutical therapy (RPT) for cancer in their communities. 1 Buatti JM Ennis RD Kiess AP Michalski JM. Radiation oncology and radiopharmaceuticals: Making our own history while learning from the past. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2023; 115: 1044-1046 Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (1) Google Scholar , 2 Buatti JM, Michalski JM. Radiation oncology's scope of practice for radiopharmaceuticals. ASTROnews. Available at:https://www.astro.org/ASTRO/media/ASTRO/News%20and%20Publications/ASTROnews/PDFs/2023_Winter_ASTROnews.pdf. Accessed May 1, 2023. Google Scholar , 3 Kiess AP Hobbs RF Bednarz B Knox SJ Meredith R Escorcia FE. ASTRO's framework for radiopharmaceutical therapy curriculum development for trainees. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2022; 113: 719-726 Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (6) Google Scholar , 4 Wallner PE Steinberg ML. Radiation oncologists and therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals: Will history repeat itself?. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2023; 115: 1041-1043 Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (3) Google Scholar At the University of Florida, we are attempting to answer this call, and radiation oncology faculty currently direct RPT programs with oral I-131 for thyroid cancer, Ra-223 (Xofigo) for bone metastases from prostate cancer, Lu-177 prostate-specific membrane antigen (Pluvicto) for metastatic prostate cancer expressing prostate-specific membrane antigen, and Lu-177 Dotatate (Lutathera) for neuroendocrine tumors that express somatostatin receptors.