21 Nov PRRT

PRRT

If you are looking for a physical therapist who is trained in peptide receptor radionuclide therapy, Zoe Fackelman at Lake Country Physical Therapy and Sportscare, PC is there for you. Peptide receptor radionuclide therapy, or PRRT, is a molecular therapy used to treat neuroendocrine carcinoma, a type of cancer.

Neuroendocrine tumors begin in the hormone-producing cells of the neuroendocrine system.  These cells are found in organs such as the lungs, stomach, and intestines. Neuroendocrine tumors come in three different types:

• Pheochromocytoma: a rare tumor that begins in the chromaffin cells of the adrenal gland. These specialized cells release the hormone adrenaline during times of stress. Although pheochromocytoma is usually benign, it can become life-threatening if the tumor releases large amounts of adrenaline into the bloodstream after injury.
• Merkel cell cancer: a highly aggressive, fast-growing, rare cancer. Starts beneath the skin or in hair follicles, usually in the head and neck region.
• Neuroendocrine carcinoma: over 60% of neuroendocrine tumors are neuroendocrine carcinomas. Usually begins the brain, lungs and gastrointestinal tract.

If you recently suffered from one of these cancers, your physician may recommend PRRT for you. Our physical therapist in Canandaigua is trained in PRRT, and do the procedure on you. Before you decide to get PRRT, we will tell you how it works and what it does. The procedure works similarly to a magnet picking up iron shavings. The tumor will collect the octreotide (with the tumor being the magnet, and the octreotide being the iron shavings), and the somatostatin receptors in the tumor will react to the radiation, which will then kill the cancer cells.

At Lake Country Physical Therapy and Sportscare PC, we specialize in PRRT. If you or somebody you know has recently been diagnosed with a neuroendocrine carcinoma, our physical therapists in Canandaigua can help treat your tumor through PRRT.  Because PRRT is a fairly new treatment, we recommend you talk with your physician about it beforehand.