How Often Do PRRT Cancer Patients Need Emergency Care Within a Week of Treatment?
Unplanned emergency or inpatient visits within 7 days of PRRT infusion were characterized, leading to a radioprotection safety protocol.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
Unplanned acute care within 7 days of PRRT was characterized in frequency, and a comprehensive radioprotection SOP was developed for these situations.
Key Numbers
232 patients, 814 infusions; 58% Lutathera, 42% Pluvicto; 19 patients (8%) needed unplanned acute care; 2% of infusions led to ED visits.
How They Did This
Retrospective chart review of PRRT patients with development of multidisciplinary radioprotection standard operating procedures.
Why This Research Matters
Patients arriving at ERs after PRRT pose radiation safety challenges — having clear protocols protects both patients and healthcare workers.
The Bigger Picture
As PRRT use grows, hospitals need standardized safety protocols for the inevitable unplanned acute care visits by radioactive patients.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Single-center retrospective review — frequency data may not generalize to all PRRT programs.
Questions This Raises
- ?Should all hospitals with ERs near PRRT centers have radioprotection protocols?
- ?Can pre-PRRT screening reduce unplanned acute care rates?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- 7 days Window after PRRT during which unplanned acute care events were tracked and radioprotection protocols applied
- Evidence Grade:
- Retrospective review with protocol development — practical safety contribution but limited generalizability.
- Study Age:
- Published in 2025, addressing safety gaps as PRRT becomes more widely used.
- Original Title:
- Unplanned Emergency Department or Inpatient Acute Care Within 1 Week After Administration of Peptide Receptor Radionuclide Therapy: Frequency of Occurrence and Standard Operating Procedures for Radioprotection in These Situations.
- Published In:
- Practical radiation oncology, 15(2), e109-e114 (2025)
- Authors:
- Prabhu, Roshan S, Russek, Rachel, McBride, James E, Price, Karen B, Garland, Danielle N, Franklin, Elizabeth, McHaffie, Derek R, Ward, Matthew C, Rowland, Chelsea L, Huffstetler, Courtney E, Hicks, Amy S
- Database ID:
- RPEP-13100
Evidence Hierarchy
Watches what happens naturally without intervening.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
Is PRRT dangerous for patients?
PRRT is generally well-tolerated but some patients need unplanned medical care within a week. Special radiation safety measures are needed since patients remain mildly radioactive.
Why is radioprotection important after PRRT?
Patients treated with radioactive peptides can still emit low levels of radiation for days, requiring special handling if they visit emergency departments.
Read More on RethinkPeptides
Cite This Study
https://rethinkpeptides.com/research/RPEP-13100APA
Prabhu, Roshan S; Russek, Rachel; McBride, James E; Price, Karen B; Garland, Danielle N; Franklin, Elizabeth; McHaffie, Derek R; Ward, Matthew C; Rowland, Chelsea L; Huffstetler, Courtney E; Hicks, Amy S. (2025). Unplanned Emergency Department or Inpatient Acute Care Within 1 Week After Administration of Peptide Receptor Radionuclide Therapy: Frequency of Occurrence and Standard Operating Procedures for Radioprotection in These Situations.. Practical radiation oncology, 15(2), e109-e114. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.prro.2024.07.002
MLA
Prabhu, Roshan S, et al. "Unplanned Emergency Department or Inpatient Acute Care Within 1 Week After Administration of Peptide Receptor Radionuclide Therapy: Frequency of Occurrence and Standard Operating Procedures for Radioprotection in These Situations.." Practical radiation oncology, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.prro.2024.07.002
RethinkPeptides
RethinkPeptides Research Database. "Unplanned Emergency Department or Inpatient Acute Care Withi..." RPEP-13100. Retrieved from https://rethinkpeptides.com/research/prabhu-2025-unplanned-emergency-department-or
Access the Original Study
Study data sourced from PubMed, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
This study breakdown was produced by the RethinkPeptides research team. We analyze and report published research findings without making health recommendations. All interpretations are based solely on the published abstract and study data.