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Advances in Radiotherapy
& Nuclear Medicine Integrating pet nutrition with radiotherapy and nuclear medicine

Table 1. Highlights of nutritional interventions and their benefits in radiotherapy and nuclear medicine for veterinary oncology
Nutritional Radiotherapy Nuclear medicine Supporting research studies
intervention
High-protein diet Supports tissue repair and Enhances radiotracer uptake and imaging accuracy, Smith et al. 26
immune function, minimizes improves diagnostic utility Johnson et al. 9
treatment-related toxicities
Antioxidant Mitigates radiation-induced Complements therapeutic efficacy of targeted Brown et al. 2
supplementation oxidative stress and tissue damage radionuclide therapies, minimizes radiation-induced Garcia et al. 6
toxicity
Omega-3 fatty acid Reduces inflammation and Supports metabolic health and overall well-being White et al. 27
supplementation enhances treatment tolerance during treatment Martinez et al. 28
Pre-imaging dietary Optimizes radiotracer uptake Improves diagnostic accuracy, enhances imaging Jones et al. 10
protocols resolution Lee et al. 29
Personalized Tailors dietary recommendations Optimizes nutritional support based on treatment Clark et al. 5
nutrition counseling to individual patient needs objectives and patient characteristics Patel et al. 30

and malnutrition if left unaddressed. The severity and 2.1. Nutrition’s role in enhancing nuclear medicine
duration of these side effects vary depending on factors such interventions for pets
as treatment dose, irradiation site, and individual patient Nuclear medicine techniques, including PET and
susceptibility. Tailored nutritional support is imperative to targeted radionuclide therapies (Table 2), have emerged
mitigate these side effects, optimize treatment tolerance, as invaluable tools in the diagnosis and treatment of
and promote the overall well-being of pets undergoing cancer in veterinary patients. Integrating nutrition into
radiotherapy. 19,20 High-quality, easily digestible diets rich nuclear medicine protocols holds promise for optimizing
in protein and essential nutrients are recommended to treatment outcomes and mitigating potential adverse
maintain optimal body condition and support immune effects. This section explores the multifaceted role of
function during treatment. Moreover, strategic nutritional nutrition in enhancing nuclear medicine interventions
interventions, including supplementation with antioxidants for pets, encompassing pre-imaging dietary protocols
(e.g., Vitamin E and selenium) and omega-3 fatty acids, have
shown promise in reducing radiation-induced oxidative and tailored nutritional interventions for pets undergoing
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stress, inflammation, and tissue damage. Strategies aimed targeted radionuclide therapies.
at enhancing treatment tolerance and outcomes through 2.1.1. Pre-imaging dietary protocols
nutritional support encompass a multifaceted approach.
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Nutritional counseling and monitoring by veterinary Pre-imaging dietary protocols aim to standardize
professionals play a crucial role in assessing patient nutritional physiological conditions and optimize radiotracer uptake,
status, identifying dietary preferences and aversions, and thereby improving the accuracy and diagnostic utility of
tailoring nutritional interventions to individual patient nuclear imaging studies in veterinary oncology. Fasting
needs. In addition, proactive management of treatment- protocols, for instance, may be employed to reduce
induced side effects through dietary modifications, appetite background activity and enhance radiotracer localization in
stimulants, antiemetics, and supportive care measures can target tissues, improving imaging resolution and diagnostic
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improve nutritional intake, prevent weight loss, and optimize accuracy. Conversely, meal-based protocols may be
treatment adherence. While significant strides have been utilized to stimulate physiological processes or enhance
21
made in understanding the nutritional considerations in radiotracer uptake in specific organs or tissues of interest.
radiotherapy for pets, several avenues for future research Understanding the metabolic dynamics of radiotracers and
and clinical innovation exist. Longitudinal studies evaluating their interactions with dietary components is essential for
the impact of tailored nutritional interventions on treatment devising effective pre-imaging dietary protocols tailored to
outcomes, quality of life, and long-term survival in veterinary individual patient needs and imaging objectives.
cancer patients are warranted. Furthermore, elucidating 2.1.2. Nutritional interventions in targeted
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the mechanistic underpinnings of the synergistic effects of radionuclide therapies
nutrition and radiotherapy could inform the development
of novel therapeutic strategies and personalized nutrition Targeted radionuclide therapies hold promise in the
protocols that maximize treatment efficacy and improve management of certain cancers in veterinary patients,
patient outcomes. 22 offering localized delivery of therapeutic radiation to tumor

Volume 2 Issue 3 (2024) 4 doi: 10.36922/arnm.3522