As those members of our community who have already undergone this treatment will recall, it’s a long day. And some UK NET Centres of Excellence occasionally arrange for a patient to stay overnight, depending on their personal diagnosis, burden of disease or care needs at home.
The day often begins with more Bloods (to check you are well enough for treatment to go ahead – with no hidden viruses sneaking in like silent Covid) – and an introduction to those caring for you.
So at The Christie Manchester this time, it was Lisa who was in charge of formally booking patients in (not least double-checking that all other health conditions and medications are correctly logged, and next of kin details are up to date), and then siting cannulas (one in each arm) and administering the protective amino acids and anti-nausea meds which are given before the Lutetium-177 dose goes in, followed by another round of amino acids afterwards to protect a patient’s kidneys.
Steve (second left), a clinical scientist with over 40 years nuclear medicine experience was also on duty. He carefully monitored and recorded radiation levels both during and after treatment and checked how well the patient’s body ‘emits’ the radioactive substance. In nuclear medicine, the relationship between time, distance and radiation is crucial for both patient and radiation safety.
Rebecca, a clinical scientist undergoing further training, was on hand to observe the safety regulations and gain further understanding into patient reported outcomes, led by Sarah, another experienced clinical scientist with a special interest in the patient experience.
This might seem like a lot of scientists, but each has a special job to do in ensuring that the UK BNMS (British Nuclear Medicine Society) Guidelines are adhered to as well as the hospital’s own protocols. Monitoring and use are heavily and legally regulated in the UK, and rightly so.
You could not be in safer hands. Any patients feeling very nervous and scheduled for PRRT, can often phone the nuclear medicine department where staff are happy to answer questions. Many will offer a pre-visit to allay anxieties and explain how equipment works and who will be on duty. Remember, PRRT is what we call a ‘treatment for the long haul’ so you will often get to see the same staff members again, as you go through follow-up care, which is helpful as they build up a continuity of care picture of the patient’s needs.
