"Radioimmunoconjugates work through a dual mechanism that combines immunologic targeting with localized radiation delivery. The monoclonal antibody components bind to specific tumor-associated antigens such as CD20, expressed on malignant B cells. Once found, the attached radioisotope delivers beta radiation directly to the tumor, causing DNA damage and cell death," Sabrina Enoch, MSN, RN, OCN®, CNMT, NMTCB (CT), theranostics clinical specialist at Highlands Oncology in Rogers, AR, told Jaime Weimer, MSN, RN, AGCNS-BS, AOCNS®, manager of oncology nursing practice at ONS, during a conversation about radioimmunoconjugates.

Music Credit: "Fireflies and Stardust" by Kevin MacLeod

Licensed under Creative Commons by Attribution 3.0

Earn 0.25 contact hours of nursing continuing professional development (NCPD) by listening to the full recording and completing an evaluation at courses.ons.org by January 30, 2027. The planners and faculty for this episode have no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies to disclose. ONS is accredited as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation.

Learning outcome: Learners will report an increase in knowledge in the history of, the mechanism of action of, and the use of radioimmunoconjugates in the treatment of cancer.

Episode Notes

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Highlights From This Episode

"Radioimmunoconjugates are a specialized subset of radiopharmaceuticals designed to combine the specificity of monoclonal antibodies with the cytotoxic power of radiation. ... Early development focused on B-cell malignancies, particularly non-Hodgkin lymphoma." TS 1:51

"An important concept for nurses to understand is the crossfire effect, where radiation can affect nearby tumor cells, even though not every cell expressed has the target antigen. This helps explain why these agents can be effective even in heterogeneous tumors." TS 3:40

"At present, 90 Y-ibritumomab tiuxetan is the only radioimmunoconjugate approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in clinical use. Historically, iodine-131 tositumomab played a major role in establishing these therapy classes, but it's also useful to contrast radioimmunoconjugates with other radiopharmaceuticals, such as iodine-131 therapies, which a lot of places do at this time, used for thyroid diseases, or radium 223, used for metastatic prostate cancer. Unlike those agents, radioimmunoconjugates rely on antibody-mediated targeted rather than physiologic uptake or bone affinity." TS 4:55

"I just try to explain to [patients] that radiation exposure is like being next to a flame. The further you are away, the less heat you get, the less exposure you get. These patients can be radioactive for three days, seven days—it just depends on how fast they excrete it through their bodies with half-life exposure." TS 9:33

"While only one agent is currently approved, the principles established by radioimmunoconjugates continue to guide development for newer targeted radiopharmaceuticals. Emerging agents aim to improve targeting, reduce toxicity, and expand indications beyond hematologic malignancies. This evolution underscores the importance of nursing education in this rapidly changing field." TS 10:41

"Radioimmunoconjugates represent an important bridge between traditional oncology treatments and the future of targeted therapies. Oncology nurses play a vital role in ensuring safe delivery, patient understanding, and collaboration between multidisciplinary teams. So, it's very important to educate and also stay up to date on evidence-based practices." TS 13:12

Episode 400: Pharmacology 101: Radioimmunoconjugates