Patients who benefit from oncological procedures often face barriers such as low functional status, side effects, and co-morbidities during treatment. The use of theranostics mitigates these issues allowing for more efficient and patient-tailored medicine through shortened treatment times, increased rate of symptom management, and the ability in most cases to return home following treatment. This new field of medicine must first break down educational barriers to succeed in implementation. Many policies and procedures are already in place for departments such as Nuclear Medicine that deal in radioisotope imaging and therapy. Taking and rewriting these policies into a theranostics view will provide the appropriate first steps in developing a safe, functional, and educated theranostics department.

Sharyl Payne would like to thank their faculty sponsors Sherry Bicklein and Kathy Kienstra for their support of this project.