Systematic review of radionuclide theranostics in lung cancer patients

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Frontiers in Medicine Published April 15, 2026 Medically reviewed April 25, 2026 DOI ↗ By Dr. Julia Lee, PhD · Oncology, Genomics & Drug Development

Key Takeaway

Note that systematic review data on radionuclide theranostics for lung cancer are incomplete and lack reported efficacy or safety outcomes.

A systematic review was conducted to assess radionuclide theranostics in patients with lung cancer. The specific study designs, publication dates, and sample sizes included in this review were not reported. The review did not identify a specific comparator group or define the primary outcomes of interest for this therapeutic approach.

The main results of the review were not reported, meaning no specific efficacy data or statistical outcomes could be extracted from the available evidence. Consequently, the review could not determine the magnitude of benefit or harm associated with radionuclide theranostics for this patient population.

Safety and tolerability data were not reported; adverse events, serious adverse events, discontinuations, and overall tolerability profiles were unavailable. The review identified several key limitations, including target heterogeneity, uncertainties in optimal dosing, and incomplete toxicity profiling. Funding sources and potential conflicts of interest were not reported.

Given the incomplete data and lack of reported efficacy or safety outcomes, the practice relevance of these findings is currently unclear. Clinicians should interpret these results with caution, recognizing that the evidence base for radionuclide theranostics in lung cancer is insufficient to support definitive clinical recommendations at this time.

Study Details

Study typeSystematic review

EvidenceLevel 1

PublishedApr 2026

View Original Abstract ↓

Lung cancer remains a leading cause of global cancer deaths, underscoring the urgent need for more accurate diagnostic and treatment approaches. Radionuclide theranostics has rapidly emerged as a paradigm that couples molecular imaging with targeted internal irradiation, enabling personalized cancer care. This review provides a systematic overview of radionuclide theranostics in lung cancer. We first summarize core theranostic principles, including the classes of diagnostic and therapeutic radionuclides and their mechanisms of action. We then emphasize target selection, discussing key molecular targets overexpressed in lung tumors and within the tumor microenvironment that are suitable for radiopharmaceutical development. We synthesize clinical translational evidence by collating efficacy and safety outcomes from pivotal studies and highlighting candidate agents currently in clinical trials. We also examine patient stratification, combination strategies, and the management of treatment-related toxicities. Finally, we outline major challenges, such as target heterogeneity, uncertainties in optimal dosing, and incomplete toxicity profiling, and propose future directions to optimize ligand design, expand target and radionuclide repertoires, and integrate radionuclide therapy with other treatment modalities.