Fox Chase Cancer Center Becomes Philadelphia’s First Comprehensive Radiopharmaceutical Therapy Center of Excellence

Jian Q. “Michael” Yu, MD, FRCPC, FACNM

Fox Chase Cancer Center has been named Philadelphia’s first Comprehensive Radiopharmaceutical Therapy Center of Excellence by the Society of Nuclear Medicine & Molecular Imaging (SNMMI).

“Everybody on our team is very excited about this. It was a huge effort on our part, and we feel very empowered to receive this distinction from the SNMMI,” said Jian Q. “Michael” Yu, MD, FRCPC, FACNM, Chief of Nuclear Medicine/PET at Fox Chase, which is part of the Department of Diagnostic Imaging. The department is headed by Gary S. Cohen, MD, FSIR, Chair and In-Chief of Radiology for Temple Health.

“This shows that Fox Chase has the training, personnel, equipment, and experience to best manage patients requiring radiopharmaceutical therapy,” added Yu. “This is an example of great collaboration among different departments within the cancer center and with the support of several service lines.”

Radiopharmaceutical therapy (RPT) is an advanced cancer treatment that uses radioactive tracers to precisely target and destroy cancer cells. This precision significantly reduces common side effects, such as hair loss, nausea, and fatigue, which are frequently associated with traditional treatments.

The designation, one of only three in Pennsylvania, was recently awarded by the SNMMI, which is dedicated to improving human health through the advancement of nuclear and molecular medicine and capabilities. SNMMI offers three levels of certification: Registered Therapy Center (Basic), Clinical Center, and Comprehensive Center, with the latter designation meaning the center is one of the most in-depth, prestigious, and well-equipped facilities to treat patients using RPT. Centers with this designation also have robust research protocols.

“This designation will help assure patients, their families, referring physicians, and payors that these centers have the qualifications, experience, and performance criteria to be designated” a center of excellence, according to SNMMI. The organization’s radiopharmaceutical therapy experts have vetted all designated centers.

In order to maintain this designation, Yu and his team will abide by a rigorous set of guidelines, including continuous education for staff and patients, periodical research publications, and clinical trial participation. This ensures both the highest quality care for patients and the growth of RPT as a therapy, which will benefit cancer patients now and in the future.