“MY HOPE LIVES HERE” THE STORY OF THE PATIENT WHO FIRST IN THE COUNTRY TO TREAT A NEOPERABLE NEUROENDOCRINE TUMOR WITH 177Lu-DOTATATE

Fifty-year-old Natalia’s story began in 2022, when she underwent elective surgery for an umbilical hernia. During the intervention, the surgeon noticed a neoplasm in the liver and performed a biopsy. Her result confirmed the malignant process Natalia was diagnosed with a very aggressive neuroendocrine tumor.

“Over the past 30 years, the incidence of this type of malignant tumor in Russia and the world has increased more than sixfold. Almost half of patients have distant metastases, which reduces the possibility of radical treatment and significantly worsens the quality of life of patients. Unfortunately, neuroendocrine tumors do not always respond to chemotherapy,” says Andrey Shurinov, senior researcher at the department of radiosurgical treatment with open radionuclides at the A.Tsyb MRRC.

Natalia’s prognosis seemed disappointing: the tests confirmed that it was a neglected oncological process with massive metastatic liver damage, and there were almost no treatment options left.

Our heroine did not plan to give up and began to look for medical institutions that could help her. It was during this period that the A.Tsyb MRRC was recruiting for clinical trials on the treatment of patients with metastatic and inoperable neuroendocrine tumors with the domestic drug 177Lu-DOTATATE. And Natalia became one of the first patients to be included in these trials.

More than 6 months have passed since the first injection of the drug. Natalya continues her treatment and regularly comes for peptide-receptor radionuclide therapy. The woman says that she feels great and is not going to change her usual way of active and full life. For example, this summer she discovered a new hobby – roller skating, on which she skates together with her children!

“I am always happy when I have to go to Obninsk, because this is where my hope lives! The doctors have given me precious time to spend with my children. I also fulfilled my dream The nurses call us, patients treated with Lutetium, their buttercups. Now I have this flower on my shoulder, a symbol of my strength, faith and hope!”