M e s o t h e l i o m a

Radiopharmaceuticals, also known as radionucleotides, are radioactive drugs used to treat cancer, including thyroid cancer, cancer that recurs in the chest wall, and pain caused by the spread of cancer to the bone (bone metastases). The most commonly used radiopharmaceuticals are samarium 153 (Quadramet®) and strontium 89 (Metastron™). These drugs are approved by the FDA to relieve pain caused by bone metastases. Both agents are given intravenously (by injection into a vein), usually on an outpatient basis; sometimes they are given in addition to external beam radiation. Other types of radiopharmaceuticals, such as phosphorous 32, rhodium 186, and gallium nitrate, are not used as frequently. Still other radiopharmaceuticals are under investigation.