EFOMP Special Interest Group for “Radionuclide Internal Dosimetry”
Therapeutic applications in nuclear medicine are developing rapidly. A growing range of radiolabelled vectors (simple vector molecules, peptides, antibodies) and medical devices (radioactive microspheres) are being used for this purpose. Various radioactive nuclides (beta, but also alpha or Auger emitters) are also considered. Due to this variety, the characterisation of the irradiation delivered to the patient is at the same time stimulating and challenging. Yet, reliable absorbed dose calculations are now available thanks to technological and scientific developments of the last decades.
An increasing number of patients will benefit from treatment with radiotherapeutics, since therapeutic agents recently developed or in early-phase trials can treat more common cancers, including mid-gut neuroendocrine tumours, hepatocellular carcinoma, liver colorectal metastases or prostate cancer. However, the role of patient-specific dosimetry in therapeutic nuclear medicine is still, astonishingly, a matter of discussion, despite regulations: treatment planning and verification of the irradiation delivered during nuclear medicine therapy are seldom performed in clinical practice, even though they are a legal requirement (Basic Safety Standard Council Directive EURATOM 2013/59).
The role of the medical physics expert (MPE) in nuclear medicine dosimetry was presented in EFOMP Policy Statement 16. However, the availability of MPEs able to implement clinical dosimetry is still severely limited. Furthermore, the critical shortage of medical physics resources within the European Union is more pronounced in nuclear medicine dosimetry.
The objective of the Special Interest Group for Radionuclide Internal Dosimetry (SIG_FRID) is to establish a network of medical physicists working and interested in radionuclide dosimetry. The SIG aims to fulfil the need for networking, education, research, and professional exchanges in this field.
The SIG for radionuclide internal dosimetry was officially created in February 2021. The kick-off meeting took place on March 8th. The SIG_FRID is a permanent structure (renewal has to be asked of the EFOMP Board every three years by the SIG_FRID parent committee).
SIG members can participate in different Focus Groups via a specific mailing list.
The priority list (revised in March/April 2024) includes:
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Organisation of scientific meetings
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Scientific meetings on dosimetry-related topics
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Clinical dosimetry case reports
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Management of SIG Focus Groups. Currently, 5 FGs are operational:
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FG1 - Time-Activity Data Fitting
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FG2 - Treatment Planning Software Benchmarking
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FG3 - Absorbed Dose Effect Relationships
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FG4 - Voxel S Value Generation and Benchmarking
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FG5 – Standards for molecular radiotherapy dosimetry
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Teaching/Education/Dissemination
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Creation of webinars
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Contribute to ECMP educational programme
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Generation of a dosimetry resource database
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Contribution to the revised Core Curriculum in collaboration with the EANM
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Communication
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Publication of an internal monthly newsletter
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Contribution to the quarterly EMP News
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Instant messaging via Slack
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Reporting on European grant applications
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Professional/Regulatory/Economic matters
In addition, the SIG_FRID is proud to report on the first Symposium on Molecular Radiotherapy Dosimetry: The future of theragnostics, held in Athens on Nov 9th-11th 2023. The report was just piblished in EJMP and presentations are available on EFOMP eLearning platform.
SIG_FRID Application Procedure
The current (March 2024) number of members is 203 and this is still growing!
EFOMP members (members of their NMO), or Individual Associate Members (including physicists outside the EU) can apply to become a SIG_FRID member.
Corporate members (company staff) are accepted. NMOs can also nominate representatives.
Applications (member application form and short professional CV) can be sent anytime to board.sig_frid@efomp.org.
The Steering Committee members elected on March 2024 for a 3-year term are:
- Manuel Bardiès, Montpellier, France
- Julia Franziska Brosch-Lenz, Munich, Germany
- Carlo Chiesa, Milan, Italy
- Gerhard Glatting, Ulm, Germany
- Silvano Gnesin, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Pablo Minguez Gabiña, Bilbao, Spain
- Steffie Peters, Rabboud, Netherland
- Katarina Sjögreen Gleisner, Lund, Sweden
- Lidia Strigari, Bologna, Italy
Board
- Chair: Manuel Bardiès, Montpellier, France
- Vice-Chair: Pablo Minguez Gabiña, Bilbao, Spain
- Secretary: Katarina Sjögreen Gleisner, Lund, Sweden