Dr. Simron Singh
Professor of Medicine,
University of Toronto
Head of the Susan Leslie Clinic for Neuroendocrine Cancers,
Odette Cancer Centre Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
There’s a new form of cancer treatment that’s
revolutionizing the field — but is Canada’s health care
system adequately prepared to integrate it?
Radioligand therapy (RLT) is a game-changer in cancer treatment. So says Dr. Simron Singh, Professor of Medicine at the University of Toronto and Head of the Susan Leslie Clinic for Neuroendocrine Cancers at the Odette Cancer Centre Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. Dr. Singh was also the principal investigator of a clinical trial that first demonstrated RLT’s effectiveness.
An innovative new cancer treatment
“Traditionally, we think of cancer therapy as systemic treatment,” says Dr. Singh. “RLT is a new way of targeting cancer cells using small molecule radiation while preserving healthy tissue, which is one of our goals of cancer treatment.”
RLT is a new way of targeting cancer cells using small molecule radiation while preserving healthy tissue, which is one of our goals of cancer treatment.
By protecting healthy tissue, RLT improves patients’ quality of life and survival rates. “There are two things we want to do as oncologists: help people live longer and help people live better,”says Dr. Singh. “RLT encompasses both.”
There are currently two approved RLT therapies in Canada: one for neuroendocrine cancers and another for advanced prostate cancer. And because the treatment is time-limited, RLT gives patients more of their life back — minimizing ongoing appointments, as seen with traditional chemotherapy or radiation. “In neuroendocrine cancer, for example, patients receive four doses and then the treatment is concluded,” says Dr. Singh.
Building capacity for RLT’s growth
“RLT involves a multidisciplinary team — a medical oncologist, a radiation oncologist, a nuclear medicine doctor, nuclear medicine technicians, nurses,” says Dr. Singh. “It brings the whole team together in a new approach and a fresh way of thinking of treating cancer.”
The multidisciplinary approach is just one of the challenges that RLT presents to Canada’s health care system. Successfully implementing RLT will require addressing significant hurdles, including infrastructure, specialized training, and logistical requirements.
“The cancer system in Ontario is one of the best in the world, and we want to preserve that,” says Dr. Singh. “As RLT grows, we need to build capacity so patients can get treated.”
As RLT grows, we need to build capacity so patients can get treated.
Challenges include capacity issues (ensuring adequate space and specially trained professionals for diagnosis and treatment delivery), logistical hurdles in manufacturing and handling radioactive products, and improving access to diagnostic tools like nuclear imaging and PSMA PET testing.
The importance of collaboration
Despite these challenges, Dr. Singh is optimistic about Canada’s readiness to expand RLT access. “It’s about being aware of what’s coming on the horizon, proactively planning, and working together to provide state-of-the-art, cost-effective cancer care,” he says.
Collaboration is critical. “If we want to have a top-tier cancer system in Ontario, all stakeholders must work together — patients, providers, pharmaceutical companies — with the common goal of providing the best and most effective treatments for patients,” says Dr. Singh.
Public-private partnerships will also play a role in advancing RLT initiatives. “As we move forward, we want to deliver care in a person-centred manner,” says Dr. Singh. “It’s really important to have public-private partnerships where everyone comes to the table ready to work together to ensure our patients maximize the benefits they can get from RLT.” By fostering collaboration between the public and private sectors, we can help to drive the adoption and accessibility of RLT across Canada.
RLT is an exciting advancement, and we must do everything we can to prepare our health care system for its integration. Learn more at inviva.ca/radioligand-therapy.
