A Q&A with Diana Thompson on patient safety in radiopharmaceuticals
For patients and families navigating cancer and other serious diseases, safety is not a single step in care. It is a commitment that shapes how radiopharmaceuticals are developed, manufactured, studied and used in clinical practice.
Diana Thompson, Director of Medical Physics at Lantheus and Past President of the Medical Section of the Health Physics Society, brings a unique perspective to this work. With expertise in radiation safety and medical physics, she knows how precise measurement, scientific rigor and cross-disciplinary collaboration can help care teams better understand disease, weigh potential risks and benefits, and make more informed decisions for each patient.
In this Q&A, Diana shares her perspective on patient safety, the role of radiopharmaceutical science and the importance of collaboration across the healthcare community.
Q&A with Diana Thompson
From your perspective, what does patient safety mean in practice?
Patient safety means understanding and minimizing risks for patients and their caregivers while helping support the best possible outcomes.
As scientists and developers of radiopharmaceuticals, we consider how each potential product fits within the broader range of available care options. Our goal is to provide diagnostic and therapeutic options that support informed decision-making while keeping safety at the forefront.
How can radiopharmaceutical science help support safer, more informed decision-making for patients and their care teams?
Radiodiagnostics can help healthcare professionals, patients and caregivers better understand the presence and extent of disease.
In some cases, they may provide information that other imaging approaches do not capture, helping care teams make more informed treatment decisions. That added insight can be especially meaningful when patients are weighing complex care options.
Why is cross-disciplinary collaboration so important to strengthening patient safety?
The radiopharmaceutical field is advancing rapidly, with new isotopes, technologies and potential applications continuing to emerge.
Professional organizations such as the Health Physics Society (HPS), the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI), the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM), the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) and the American College of Radiation Oncology (ACRO) bring experts together to share experiences and develop practical, evidence-based guidance.
That collaboration helps strengthen patient safety and supports the continued evolution of the field.
What gives you the greatest sense of purpose in helping advance safe radiopharmaceutical care?
What gives me the greatest sense of purpose is helping advance innovations that may improve how serious diseases are detected and treated.
As we continue learning more about radiopharmaceutical diagnostics and therapies, we can develop new approaches that support treatment decisions and patient care. I feel fortunate to contribute to work that helps bring these innovations to healthcare professionals and the patients and families they serve.
