Grant: Operating Grant

Neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) are cancers that arise from the endocrine and nervous systems. They are most commonly found in the digestive tract and the lungs. While there are many kinds of NETs, they are treated as a single group of tumours as they share common features, such as secretion of various hormones. NETs are the second most common type of cancer of the digestive tract and their incidence has been constantly increasing over the past few decades in Canada and abroad. NETs are generally slow-growing tumours that often present at an advanced stage, when they cannot be treated by surgery, and when conventional medical therapies have limited efficacy. A newer kind of therapy using radioactive drugs targeting specifically NET cancers has shown encouraging clinical results in patients suffering from NET. These include tumour regression, symptomatic relief and prolonged survival. However, since the therapy has been administered in a standardized, "one-size-fits-all" fashion to all patients, outcomes vary widely because each patient is different. We believe that the results of this therapy can be substantially improved by customizing treatment for each patient. Such an approach will allow physicians to maximize the quantity of radiation delivered to the cancer and minimize the chances of adverse effects from the therapy. This project involves the use of standard nuclear medicine imaging techniques to determine the distribution of the radioactive drug through the body of the patient receiving the therapy. Methods will be developed to process these images and to combine them with other patient data to allow physicians to tailor the therapy to the specific needs and characteristics of each individual patient. Such image-based therapy plans will maximize the likelihood of successful treatment while maintaining a very low likelihood of any adverse effect. The goal of this research is to improve the lives of Canadian patients with NETs, through personalized medicine.