Conditions & Treatments

Peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT) - Post-surgery care

Upon discharge from hospital, you may be provided with medications for nausea and vomiting. You are encouraged to keep well hydrated. Regular blood tests will be ordered and you will be given appointments to return to see your doctor for review of these blood tests and follow-up.

PRRT is generally a well-tolerated procedure. The risks and complications from the treatment may include the following:

Transient nausea and vomiting.
General lethargy.
Local or regional compression due to transient tumour swelling.
Rarely, in patients with functional tumours that are producing hormones, PRRT may exacerbate the symptoms due to sudden massive release of hormones during and shortly after the treatment. You will be closely monitored and should you experience such symptoms, an injection of octreotide will be given to you as necessary.
In the short term following the treatment, patients may experience mild hair loss and a lowering of blood cells. In most patients, these are not permanent and recovery to normal state is expected. In a small number of patients, the lowered blood counts do not fully recover to normal due to radiation effects on the bone marrow.
Rarely, patients who receive repeated treatments of PRRT have been reported to develop impairment of kidney function or a second cancer (1-2%).
In patients who have large liver metastases or impaired liver function prior to PRRT, worsening of liver function may occur.

You are advised to avoid pregnancy or impregnating your partner for 6 months following PRRT as the radiation may have adverse effects on the embryo or foetus.