CQCIT Theranostics

Theranostics is a combination of “therapeutics” and “diagnostics.” In theranostics a diagnostic radioisotope is attached to a drug, allowing physicians to locate tumors using PET imaging. Once the cancer is identified, the same drug is paired with a more powerful, therapeutic radioisotope that delivers targeted radiation to destroy specific cancer cells—offering a powerful, precise, and personalized treatment strategy. 

This “one-two” punch approach allows us to visualize where the cancer is and then deliver therapy directly to those sites, minimizing damage to healthy tissue. Therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals can also be imaged with SPECT/CT after treatments to monitor therapy and provide personalized radiation dosimetry estimates.

The CQCIT performs a range of research PET/CT scans for patients participating in clinical trials at Huntsman Cancer Institute and the University of Utah. These include studies using FDA-approved PET radiopharmaceuticals as well as investigational radiopharmaceuticals under IND. Huntsman Cancer Institute conducts many clinical trials to evaluate novel theranostic drugs and was the first site in the country to treat a patient with brain cancer using one of these drugs. 

The CQCIT also performs select clinical PET/CT scans in support of the Huntsman Cancer Institute Hospital and Sugar House Health Center of the University of Utah.