Written answers
Tuesday, 29 November 2022
Department of Health
Health Services
Colm Burke (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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681. To ask the Minister for Health the progress that his Department has made to identify the infrastructural requirements for rolling out radioligand therapy in Ireland including the identification of radioligand therapy centres and the provision of specialised training to staff; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59087/22]
Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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Radioligand therapy is a type of nuclear medicine that works by delivering targeted doses of radiation to cancer cells. One form of radioligand therapy licensed by the European Medicines Agency and approved for reimbursement by the HSE in the treatment of specific neuroendocrine tumours is called Peptide Receptor Radionuclide Therapy (PRRT). Currently, PRRT is not available in Ireland. Eligible patients access PRRT via the Treatment Abroad Scheme, with the majority of patients attending London, Sweden and the Netherlands.
St. Vincent's University Hospital, Dublin, which is the national centre for neuroendocrine tumours, has been designated as the initial site for PRRT in Ireland and has been provided support for the development of the required infrastructure and training of staff for the provision of PRRT. This service is expected to be operational by year end 2022. The HSE has approved the reimbursement of PRRT through the standard reimbursement assessment process.
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