Promoting Standardization in Dosimetry for Radiopharmaceutical Therapies

Recent advancements in radiopharmaceutical therapies present significant potential for enhancing cancer treatments, particularly in thyroid, liver, prostate, and neuroendocrine tumors. Despite the clinical utility of these therapies, the application of dosimetry remains limited due to its complexity and the variability in results. In response, the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) initiated the Dosimetry Challenge to address these concerns and improve standardization in the process.

Launched by the SNMMI Dosimetry Task Force in 2021, the Dosimetry Challenge aimed to identify variability in dosimetry workflows and suggest harmonized internal dosimetry methods for radiopharmaceutical therapies. This initiative engaged researchers from 18 countries, who analyzed data from patients treated with 177Lu-DOTATATE. As a result, actionable recommendations were developed to standardize dosimetry methodologies, ensuring more consistent outcomes.

Since the inception of the challenge, six scientific papers have been published. The research has been recognized with multiple awards from both the research and nuclear medicine communities, some including further funding to enhance dosimetry practices and expand access to radiopharmaceutical therapies. These efforts establish a foundation for ongoing research into dose optimization.

Among the awards, the prestigious Alavi Mandell Award is presented to early-career scientists, students, and residents who are first authors of outstanding original articles in The Journal of Nuclear Medicine. This award, created by Drs. Abass Alavi and Gerald Mandell, aims to encourage young physicians and researchers in pursuing academic careers in nuclear medicine. Another key award, the Arthur M. Weis, PhD Award, honors significant advancements in nuclear medicine.

Highlighted works include:

• 2025 Alavi Mandell Award: "An International Study of Factors Affecting Variability of Dosimetry Calculations, Part 4: Impact of Fitting Functions in Estimated Absorbed Doses" by Sara Kurkowska et al. (J Nucl Med. 2025;66:441-448).
• 2024 Alavi Mandell Award: "An International Study of Factors Affecting Variability of Dosimetry Calculations, Part 3: Contribution from Calculating Absorbed Dose from Time-Integrated Activity" by Julia Brosch-Lenz et al. (J Nucl Med. 2024;65:1166-1172).
• 2023 Alavi Mandell Award and Nuclear Medicine Therapies Award: "An International Study of Factors Affecting Variability of Dosimetry Calculations, Part 2: Overall Variabilities in Absorbed Dose" by Julia Brosch-Lenz et al. (J Nucl Med. 2023;64:1109-1116).
• 2022 Arthur M. Weis, PhD, Award in Radiation Safety: "An International Study of Factors Affecting Variability of Dosimetry Calculations, Part 1: Design and Early Results of the SNMMI Dosimetry Challenge" by Carlos Uribe et al. (J Nucl Med December 2021;62 Supplement 3:36S-47S).