Cancer Care Center Treatment: Medical Oncology
Radiopharmaceuticals
What is radiopharmaceutical?
Radiopharmaceutical is a drug containing a radioactive
substance that is used in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer and in pain
management of cancer that has moved into the bone. The radioactive substance is targeted to specific
areas of the body where cancer is present. The radioactive activity is
short lived meaning most of the radiation is gone within a few days or weeks. This
type of treatment is given intravenously and it accumulates in cancerous bone
tissue and gives off radiation that kills cancer cells and relieves pain in
most of the patients. These treatments sometimes are used in conjunction
with external beam radiation.
What are the side effects of a radiopharmaceutical?
The most common side effects from radiopharmaceuticals
are loss of appetite, abdominal cramps, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting, weakness
and fatigue. These
side effects are temporary in nature and with proper nutrition and supportive
therapy they can be managed.
Precautions prior to radiopharmaceutical treatment
Foods containing iodine, such as iodize salt, seafoods,
cabbage, kale, or turnips, should be avoided for several weeks prior to treatment. The iodine
in these foods will be taken up by the thyroid, thereby reducing the amount
of radioiodide that can be taken up. Diarrhea or vomiting may cause
the radioactive substance to be lost resulting in less effective treatment
and the risk of outside contamination.
Precautions after radiopharmaceutical treatment
It is important to drink plenty of fluids and to urinate
often after treatment. This
flushes the radioactive material from the body. Avoid people with infections,
seek medical help at the first sign of infection or unusual bleeding, using
care when doing mouth care, avoid touching the eyes or inside of the nose,
avoids cuts or other injuries.