Nuclear Medicine and Haematological Malignancies: Part II (Therapy)

One of the new and exciting areas in Nuclear Medicine in the past 5 years has been the novel treatment for lymphoma with radiolabelled antibodies. These new products have shown to be particularly effective in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) where anti-CD-20 antibodies labelled with both I-131 and Y-90 have become commercially available. This has fuelled interest in treatment of other types of lymphoma using radiolabelled antibodies on their own or in combination with other treatments. Other haematological diseases have also been researched including forms of leukaemia and myeloma. In addition we should not forget the use of standard established treatment such as P-32 for polycythaemia rubra vera. The use of radioactive treatments of haematological malignancies is due to expand immensely over the next decade. (author)