Theranostics in Bangladesh: Current Status, Challenges, and Future Perspective

Therapeutic nuclear medicine (NM) in Bangladesh began in the early 1980s with the application of radioactive iodine for treatment of thyroid cancer and primary hyperthyroidism. Since then, NM practice has remarkably developed in the country with the advancement of instrumentation, radiopharmacy, and information technology. The government took the initiative to establish four PET-CT centers at different NM centers, including one at the National Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences (NINMAS). A further development is the installation of a cyclotron center (18-MeV cyclotron) at NINMAS by the government’s fund. Currently, NM is providing good health services to oncology patients throughout the country. More than 20 NM centers are functioning in different parts of the country, and therapeutic NM has an important place. However, conventional radioactive iodine still remains the major theranostic application.

The expansion and development of therapeutic NM for other cancers have been limited due to a number of challenging factors. A brief overview of the history and current status of NM in Bangladesh is presented here with an examination of factors that pose as obstacles to the introduction and development of new therapeutic technologies. Finally, future perspectives are discussed with ways to mitigate existing problems and challenges.