In a first, HMC uses nuclear medicine to treat prostate cancer

Doha, Qatar: Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) has started using a nuclear medicine treatment technology, known as Lutetium 177 for prostate cancer pati...

Doha, Qatar: Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) has started using a nuclear medicine treatment technology, known as Lutetium-177 for prostate cancer patients for the first time in Qatar. The first patient successfully received treatment at HMC’s National Center for Cancer Care and Research (NCCCR) Nuclear Medicine Department, offering many patients the convenience of receiving this treatment locally rather than traveling abroad.

Dr. Maryam Al Kuwari, Chief Radiologist for Nuclear Medicine at HMC, said: "Therapies utilizing Lutetium-177 technology offer hope for patients who have tried all conventional treatment options without any improvement in their condition. With this treatment, we can improve the quality of life for patients with neuroendocrine tumors and those battling prostate cancer."

Dr. Al Kuwari added that the new technology also enables the diagnosis of breast cancer tumors by administering a radioactive substance (FES) to the patient, followed by an imaging procedure for precise tumor localization. She emphasized that HMC is continuously striving to introduce the latest diagnostic procedures, which will contribute to reducing the need for patients to seek medical care abroad. Dr. Al Kuwari described the introduction of this new technology as a significant medical milestone, reflecting the dedication and efforts of nuclear medicine physicians, oncologists, and radiology technicians at HMC to ensure the delivery of high-quality care to all cancer patients.

Dr. Ghulam Syed, Head of the Nuclear Medicine Department at HMC, said: "The Nuclear Medicine Department recently began offering a new treatment for cancer patients for the first time in Qatar, known as radiotracer therapy. In this treatment, patients are given an injection of a tracer carrying radionuclide to deliver radiation to the cancer cells."