ST. LUKE’S HN

New therapy program offered

Lutathera, an innovative radioactive therapy for gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors, is now available at St. Luke’s University Health Network.

The drug targets GEP-NETS, which are found in the neuroendocrine cells of the pancreas and parts of the gastrointestinal tract, including the stomach, intestines, colon and rectum.

Lutathera, approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in January 2018, is a radiopharmaceutical from a new class of drugs called Peptide Receptor Radionuclide Therapy (PRRT), used to target and kill tumor cells. Lutathera is the first PRRT ever approved in the United States.

While it is not a curative agent, Lutathera halts progression of the cancer. In fact, studies show a 79 percent lower risk of cancer spread, growth or worsening and its effects are expected to work for up to 18 months with some cases up to four years out.

Lutathera consists of four infusions on an outpatient basis, spaced eight weeks apart, for a total of four doses. Treatment is administered through IV in a lead-lined room under the guidance of a radiologist at St. Luke’s University Hospital - Bethlehem.

Network named to Top 100

St. Luke’s University Hospital, Bethlehem, has been named one of the nation’s 100 Top Hospitals in the Major Teaching Hospital category by IBM Watson Health for the fifth year in a row and for the seventh time. St. Luke’s Anderson Campus was named a 100 Top Medium Community Hospital.

IBM Watson Health’s 100 Top Hospitals list is based entirely on an independent, scientific review of objective data from government and other publicly available sources. “The 100 Top Hospitals award recognizes an organization’s ability to thrive regardless of the constantly changing environment of today’s health care industry and national imperatives that continue to require the highest value of care,” said St. Luke’s President and CEO Richard A. Anderson.

For more information, visit www.100tophospitals.com.