- Patients
- Cancer treatments
- Theranostics
- Radium-223 therapy
Radium-223 therapy
A personalised treatment that targets metastatic prostate cancer in the bones.
Theranostics
Theranostics is a highly personalised approach to cancer medicine combining diagnostic imaging with therapy. Radium-223 therapy is a type of Theranostics treatment for prostate cancer that has spread (metastasised) to your bones and is causing you pain.
Your consultant may recommend Radium-223 therapy if your cancer has become resistant to hormone therapy or other treatments are unsuitable. This kind of cancer can’t be completely cured, but treatment aims to ease pain and control the cancer’s growth.
Radium-223 therapy is available in our state-of-the-art treatment centres in Oxford, Windsor and Guildford in Surrey. Our multidisciplinary Theranostics team, led by world-leading experts, will work with your referring doctor to decide if this treatment is right for you and what you can expect.
Book an appointment
To find out if you could benefit from Radium-223 therapy, book an appointment with our experts or ask for a referral from your oncologist.
How does Radium-223 work?
Before the treatment
Before starting treatment, you’ll need a bone scan to confirm the cancer has spread to your bones without affecting other organs, such as your liver. We can carry out bone scans at our centre in Windsor, if required.
Radium-223 therapy is a type of internal radiotherapy that uses a radioactive form of the metal radium to treat the spread of cancer to the bones.
A very small amount of radioactive liquid containing Radium-223 is injected into your bloodstream through a vein in your arm. It’s absorbed by cancer in the bones and can cause the cancer cells to die
Painful bone metastases can have a profound impact on life for patients with advanced prostate cancer. We encourage patients to explore all available options to help manage their condition. Our team is here to ensure treatments like Radium-223 are delivered carefully and effectively, with a focus on improving your well-being and quality of life.
Who is Radium-223 therapy for?
Radium-223 therapy may be suitable for you if you:
- Have prostate cancer that has spread to your bones but not other organs
- Experience bone pain
- Have had hormone treatment that is no longer working (castration-resistant prostate cancer)
- Have either had or aren’t suitable for Docetaxel (a chemotherapy drug)
This treatment is not suitable for people without full control over their bowels. This is because the medicine is naturally passed through the stool and may risk exposing others to radiation, such as when handling soiled clothing.
If you have cancer that has spread to other organs such as the liver or have large amounts of cancer in your lymph nodes, then an alternative Theranostics treatment called 177Lutetium PSMA therapy may be suitable for you. You can ask your consultant for more details.
How do I get a referral for Radium-223?
What does Radium-223 therapy involve?
Before your first appointment, your care team will call you to explain any preparation instructions in advance of each treatment and to answer any questions you may have. Here is an overview of what you can expect.
Our Theranostics team will contact you to give you more information about the treatment and advice about protecting yourself and others from radiation throughout your treatment.
We’ve included many of these details in our patient brochure and will provide further advice at each appointment. You can also contact your care team at any time if you have any questions.
Radium-223 therapy is normally given in six sessions, which are every four weeks. This means you’ll be having treatment for around six months.
Each session is called a cycle, and the whole treatment is called a course.
You’ll meet the same member of your care team at each appointment, so they’ll get to know you and help you feel comfortable.
At each treatment cycle, one of our highly trained Theranostics specialists will administer the Radium-223 therapy in one of our chemotherapy suites or uptake rooms that is set up specifically for this treatment.
The treatment is injected using a cannula (needle) inserted into a vein in your arm. If you’re nervous about needles, just let us know and we may be able to help make this easier for you.
Your radiographer will test the cannula and then administer the Radium-223. You shouldn’t feel any pain or discomfort and it takes just 10 minutes. You can leave the centre within 30 minutes of the injection.
Our care team will give you a treatment record sheet after you leave each appointment which will have details of the treatment you’ve had radiation precautions for you to follow. You should carry this with you until your team advise you that it’s no longer required.
Around two to three weeks after each treatment cycle, you’ll have a blood test and be seen by your Theranostics consultant to make sure you can have the next injection without unnecessary risks or severe side effects.
This consultation takes place in the same GenesisCare centre where you are receiving Theranostics treatment. You can have these blood tests at your local GP practice and your Theranostics team will help you arrange these.
At the end of your treatment cycles, the Theranostics care team will refer you back to your original consultant with all the details of your Radium-223 treatments so that they can manage any ongoing treatment and monitor your health.
What are the Radium-223 side effects?
For most people, the side effects of Radium-223 are manageable and temporary. Our Theranostics care team will discuss these with you before treatment and you’ll be given telephone contact details if you have any issues.
Common side effects include mild diarrhoea and vomiting, and general aches and pains. It can also temporarily lower your blood cell levels, causing anaemia, fatigue or tiredness. Your regular blood tests will monitor this.
For some people, Radium-223 therapy can increase the risk of bone fractures for up to two years. In these cases, your bone health is carefully monitored before, during and after treatment.
Contact our Theranostics care team immediately if you experience any of the following:
- Any unusual bruising
- More bleeding than usual after an injury
- Fever (a high temperature)
- Experiencing a lot of colds or getting other infections
- Pain, swelling or numbness of the jaw, a “heavy jaw” feeling or loosening of a tooth
Our team will continue to follow up on your health and wellbeing by phone or email during and after your treatment.
Is Radium-223 therapy safe?
Our consultants carefully consider your case and only offer treatments where the benefits will likely outweigh any risks.
Radium-223 therapy involves injecting radioactive medicine. Although it’s targeted to cancer in the bones, it can impact other cells causing long-term health effects. There is also a risk of exposing others to radiation if they come into contact with your blood, semen, urine or stool.
Before treatment, your Theranostics consultant will fully discuss all the risks and benefits of your treatment with you. You’ll be given advice at each appointment and a card with your treatment record to show any other healthcare professional treating you, including your dentist.
Why choose GenesisCare?
At GenesisCare, we have dedicated Theranostics suites at our centres in Oxford, Windsor and Guildford in Surrey. Our service is led by world-class experts in nuclear medicine
Alongside Theranostics, we offer a range of cutting-edge treatments for prostate cancer, including chemotherapy and advanced radiotherapy. Your personalised treatment plan will be tailored to your individual needs and delivered by a dedicated team including nuclear medicine nurse support, physicists, radiographers and clinical nurse specialists.
We understand living with advanced cancer can feel overwhelming. That’s why we have partnered with Penny Brohn UK and The Sleep Project to provide personalised wellbeing therapies to support you throughout this challenging time.
Our patients are also offered a personalised exercise medicine programme which is proven to help improve treatment tolerance, function, fatigue and quality of life. If you choose to take part, one of our highly trained physiotherapists will provide you with a personalised program of exercises that are adapted to your abilities, goals and diagnosis.
These services are available to you at no extra cost to your insurer because we understand the importance of supporting you throughout your treatment journey and the positive impact these therapies can have.
After all, we’re treating you – not just your cancer.
FAQs
Radium-223 behaves similarly to calcium. Cancerous areas in your bones take up more calcium than normal bone tissue. Because Radium-223 acts like calcium, it’s also taken up by the cancer and collects there.
This means the Radium-223 delivers targeted radiotherapy to cancer cells, while healthy bone tissues take up much less Radium-223. This helps to limit the side effects of treatment.
Radium-223 therapy delivers a strong dose of radiation to cancer cells, which can destroy them. This helps to control pain and can slow down the progress of the cancer.
Radium-223 therapy is for patients with prostate cancer that has spread to the bones and is causing pain. While this kind of cancer can’t be completely cured, Radium-223 therapy aims to ease pain and slow down the progression of the disease.
Some studies have suggested that Radium-223 may help extend life with advanced prostate cancer, particularly those with bone metastases. Many factors can affect your treatment outcomes, and your consultant will explain what you can expect.
References
Meet the team
Meet the team
Book an appointment
Radium-223 therapy is available at our specialist outpatient centres in Windsor, Oxford and Surrey. Find out more about Radium-223 therapy or book an appointment.