Nuclear medicine: peptide receptor radionuclide therapy: practice question

A Radiology question in the style of the NEET PG paper. Answer it first, then read why the right option is right and why each of the others is wrong.

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Radiology · Nuclear medicine: peptide receptor radionuclide therapy

Sample item

A patient with a progressive metastatic midgut neuroendocrine tumour shows intense uptake on a gallium-68 DOTATATE PET scan. Which therapy exploits this finding?

Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.

The answer and the reasoning

D. Lutetium-177 DOTATATE

Strong somatostatin receptor expression on imaging predicts uptake of the same peptide labelled with a therapeutic beta emitter. Lutetium-177 DOTATATE delivers radiation locally to receptor-positive tumour cells.

Option by option

  • A. External beam whole-brain irradiation

    Whole-brain radiation is not directed at a receptor-positive abdominal tumour.

  • B. Strontium-89 chloride

    Strontium-89 is used to palliate bone pain from metastases.

  • C. Radioiodine-131 sodium iodide

    Radioiodine treats thyroid tissue that traps iodide.

  • D. Lutetium-177 DOTATATE (correct)

    Correct. A therapeutic analogue of the imaging peptide is the logical choice.

Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.

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Questions about this Radiology question

What is the answer to this Radiology question?

The best answer is D, Lutetium-177 DOTATATE. Strong somatostatin receptor expression on imaging predicts uptake of the same peptide labelled with a therapeutic beta emitter.

Why is "External beam whole-brain irradiation" not the answer?

Whole-brain radiation is not directed at a receptor-positive abdominal tumour.

Why is "Strontium-89 chloride" not the answer?

Strontium-89 is used to palliate bone pain from metastases.

Why is "Radioiodine-131 sodium iodide" not the answer?

Radioiodine treats thyroid tissue that traps iodide.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Nuclear medicine: peptide receptor radionuclide therapy in Radiology. Lutetium-177 DOTATATE delivers radiation locally to receptor-positive tumour cells.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as an application question: it asks you to use a fact on a patient or a finding. The tag is our own editorial judgement, not an official difficulty rating, so read the reason for every option, not only the answer.

How should I study Nuclear medicine: peptide receptor radionuclide therapy?

Learn signs with the image, and the disease they point to. Then use the flashcards and the other Radiology questions on this site to test what stuck.

Is this a real NEET PG question?

No. It is an original practice item (editorial status: sample, version 1). NextPrep does not publish recalled or leaked questions, and independent faculty review of this item has not been completed yet, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.