Emerging innovations in theranostics for pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors

Anita Karimi; Christina Bogdani; Elisabeth O'Dwyer; Despina Siolas

doi:10.1038/s41698-025-00938-1

Emerging innovations in theranostics for pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors

NPJ Precis Oncol. 2025 May 19;9(1):146. doi: 10.1038/s41698-025-00938-1.

Authors

Anita Karimi¹, Christina Bogdani², Elisabeth O'Dwyer³, Despina Siolas^{4

5}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
² New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine, Old Westbury, New York, NY, USA.
³ Division of Molecular Imaging and Therapeutics, Department of Radiology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
⁴ Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA. des2025@med.cornell.edu.
⁵ Sandra and Edward Meyer Cancer Center, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA. des2025@med.cornell.edu.

Abstract

Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (pNETs) often overexpress somatostatin receptor type 2 (SSTR2), making them ideal targets for theranostics, which integrates molecular imaging with targeted radionuclide therapy. ¹⁷⁷Lu-DOTATATE significantly extends progression-free survival (22.8 vs. 8.5 months) compared to octreotide LAR. Despite these advances, challenges remain, including treatment resistance and long-term toxicities. In this review, we explore advancements in specialized imaging techniques, rationale combination strategies, and exploring next-generation radiopharmaceuticals.

Publication types

Review