The Importance of Training, Accreditation, and Guidelines for the Practice of Theranostics: The Australian Perspective

Abstract

In nuclear medicine, theranostics is a burgeoning development that is rapidly being implemented worldwide. There is an increasing need to provide a multidisciplinary framework to the practice of theranostics, ensuring that patients receive this treatment safely and are secure in the knowledge that their health-care practitioners are adequately trained. Nuclear medicine experts in Australia have taken the initiative of producing a set of theranostic guidelines relevant to Australian medical practice. These guidelines encompass specialist qualifications, patient care, radiopharmaceutical production, radiation safety, and dosimetry. We propose adaptation of these guidelines by other countries, and we promote standards of practice leading to optimal clinical outcomes for patients receiving theranostic treatments.

Keywords: general oncology; guidelines; molecular imaging; radionuclide therapy; theranostics; training.