Join Dr Moraitis and get an understanding of the regulatory requirements and design considerations for radiopharmaceutical treatments, particularly those involving beta emitters like ¹⁷⁷Lu-PSMA radioligand therapy. He highlights the differences in inpatient and outpatient settings across countries, the bi-exponential clearance of radioligand therapy, the importance of maintaining dose rates below specific thresholds, and the need for comprehensive documentation and regulatory approvals. He also details the setup of treatment rooms to ensure radiation safety, including the use of individual bathrooms connected to waste tanks to manage radioactive waste effectively. Finally, Dr Moraitis emphasizes the importance of radiation safety certificates for personnel and the sequential use of rooms for different treatments to minimize contamination risks.

Explore the comprehensive measures taken to ensure radiation safety in a hospital setting with Dr Costa. He emphasizes the importance of continuous education, including yearly instruction on the ALARA (As Low As Reasonably Achievable) principle to manage exposure levels. In University Hospital Essen, nurses' exposure is kept significantly below legal limits, with less than 1 millisievert per year compared to the allowed 20 millisieverts. Patient release criteria are based on international guidelines, ensuring public exposure does not exceed 1 millisievert per year. The video details the management of radioactive waste, including the handling of primary and secondary waste from radiopharmaceuticals, and the bioelimination of radiopharmaceuticals through decay tanks. It also describes the process of measuring and documenting waste to ensure it meets exemption levels before disposal.

In this video, Prof Fendler discusses the indications for a PSMA-PET/CT scan in prostate cancer, the initial preparation required by staff including patient education, consent, hydration and the use of furosemide to reduce bladder uptake. He also covers the types of radiotracers, the administration protocols, and the importance of accurate interpretation of PSMA-PET/CT scan images to avoid false positives. Additionally, he highlights the need for proper imaging techniques and the potential pitfalls in interpreting PSMA-PET/CT scans.

In this tour video, Prof Fendler provides an overview of the PET/CT facility at the Nuclear Medicine Department of Essen University Hospital. He explained the procedures that a patient will go through prior, during and after a PSMA PET/ CT scan.

In this video, Prof Fendler discusses a patient who was deemed ineligible for ¹⁷⁷Lu-PSMA-617 due to low PSMA uptake in bone metastasis. Patient was then considered for another therapy.

This case study highlights a patient who initially responded to ¹⁷⁷Lu-PSMA-617 but showed disease progression and rising PSA levels after two cycles, leading to the discontinuation of the therapy.

This case study highlights a patient who underwent up to six cycles of ¹⁷⁷Lu-PSMA-617, showing good response with a significant decrease in PSA levels and near-complete response on post-treatment scans.

Join Prof Kersting and Dr Moraitis  as they discuss the preparation required and steps for administering radiopharmaceuticals in a PSMA radioligand facility. Key team members involved in the day-to-day workflow include nuclear medicine physicians, medical physicists, technicians, and nurses.

In this video Prof Ken Herrmann discusses the collaboration between multidisciplinary teams (MDTs), focusing on PSMA-PET imaging and ¹⁷⁷Lu-PSMA radioligand therapy in prostate cancer treatment. He highlights the history and scaling up of PSMA-PET in University Hospital Essen in Germany, emphasizing the collaborative approach between urology and nuclear medicine teams. He discusses the importance of MDTs in reviewing patient cases from various angles and involving specialists from different fields. He mentions the need for more theranostic centers, workforce training, and effective patient referral mechanisms. Additionally he outlines the fast-track mechanism available on their institution website for quick access to the PSMA program and the challenges of growing clinical demand and workforce issues. Overall, the video underscores the critical role of MDTs in patient management and the ongoing need for training and resource allocation in nuclear medicine.