On the 27th April 2021, NCITA held a training workshop on ‘Nuclear Medicine in Oncology’. The workshop provided a comprehensive introduction to nuclear medicine in oncology, and a mix of researchers, students and managers joined the workshop to learn more about this area.
Speakers included Dr Maite Jauregui-Osoro, NCITA Imaging QA/QC Manager (Imperial College London), Dr Jennifer Young, Research Associate in Translational Radiopharmacy in the NCITA Imaging QA/QC unit (King’s College London), Ms Edith Gallagher, Research PET/CT Technologist in the NCITA Imaging QA/QC unit (University of Oxford), and Dr Daniel McGowan, Principal Clinical Scientist (University of Oxford).
There were five talks overall which together provided a comprehensive introduction to nuclear medicine in oncology:
- Introduction to radiation and production of PET radiotracers (cyclotron): presented by Dr Maite Jauregui-Osoro. Maite covered ionising radiation and the energy spectrum, how radioactivity is measured, types of positron-emitting radionuclides, production of PET radiotracers and the cyclotron, radiopharmaceutical synthesis, protection against radiation and dose monitoring, sources of radiation exposure, and an overview of regulatory bodies. The recording is available here.
- Introduction to Radiopharmacy:presented by Dr Jennifer Young. Jennifer covered the aseptic manufacture of radiopharmaceuticals labelled with short life radionuclides, radiotracer design, the generation of radiometals within a radiopharmacy and generator production of radionuclides. Jennifer also discussed quality control and quality assurance procedures, synthesis failures, and an overview of staff who work in radiopharmacy. The recording is available here.
- Peculiarities of Radiopharmaceuticals:presented by Dr Maite Jauregui-Osoro. Maite covered radiopharmaceutical concentrations, the Investigational Medicinal Product Dossier (IMPD) requirements for clinical trial authorisation using IMPs as well as how products are tested for identity and purity, and the manufacture and release of non-IMP radiotracers. The recording is available here.
- Nuclear Medicine and PET/CT Imaging in Oncology – In the Department: presented by Ms Edith Gallagher. Edith provided an overview of Nuclear Medicine and PET/CT study procedures, including what happens in the department before patients arrive; what happens with the patient and an example of some images; and finally the logistics and hurdles when looking at scheduling scans and other as part of a research study. The recording is available here.
- Legislation and Regulation around Nuclear Medicine:presented by Dr Daniel McGowan. Daniel covered types of background and environmental radiation, UK Radiation Protection Legislation, mitigation and ways of preventing contamination, as well as an overview of Environmental Permitting Regulations (EPR) 2016, Ionising Radiation (Medical Exposure) Regulations (IRMER) 2017 and the application of IRMER aimed at protecting patients from over-exposure or accidental exposure. Daniel also highlighted the Integrated Research Application System (IRAS) for acknowledging the use of ionising radiation in clinical research studies, the UK HRA Radiation Assurance process including the role of the lead Clinical Radiation Expert (CRE) and lead Medical Physics Expert (MPE) and Administration of Radioactive Substances Advisory Committee (ARSAC) regulations. The recording is available here.
You can also find the full recording of the workshop here.