How are radiopharmaceuticals used in cancer treatment?

Radiopharmaceuticals are used in cancer treatment to deliver radiation directly to cancer cells.

Radiopharmaceuticals are drugs that contain radioactive isotopes. They are used in cancer treatment to deliver radiation directly to cancer cells. This is done by injecting the radiopharmaceutical into the patient's bloodstream, where it travels to the cancer cells. The radiation emitted by the isotopes in the radiopharmaceutical then damages the DNA of the cancer cells, causing them to die.

One type of radiopharmaceutical used in cancer treatment is called a radioligand. Radioligands are molecules that bind specifically to receptors on cancer cells. Once the radioligand has bound to the cancer cell, the radioactive isotope it contains emits radiation that damages the cancer cell.

Another type of radiopharmaceutical used in cancer treatment is called a radiopharmaceutical conjugate. Radiopharmaceutical conjugates are molecules that are designed to specifically target cancer cells. They contain both a radioactive isotope and a molecule that binds to a specific receptor on the cancer cell. Once the radiopharmaceutical conjugate has bound to the cancer cell, the radioactive isotope emits radiation that damages the cancer cell.

Radiopharmaceuticals are often used in combination with other cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy. They can also be used to treat cancer that has spread to other parts of the body, as the radiopharmaceutical can travel through the bloodstream to reach the cancer cells.