A Day Focused on Nuclear Medicine, Molecular Imaging, and Theranostics
- NCF Team
- Jun 3
- 4 min read
Recapping the SNMMI Neuroendocrine Cancer Patient Education Event
On May 31st, the 2026 Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) Neuroendocrine Cancer Patient Education Day brought the NET community to the Los Angeles Convention Center, co-organized by the Neuroendocrine Cancer Foundation (NCF) and NorCal CarciNET's Josh Mailman alongside the SNMMI Annual Conference. Offered completely free and in a hybrid format, the event opened doors for patients and families, whether they attended in person or tuned in from home.
From morning sessions on imaging and clinical trials to an afternoon deep dive into the frontiers of theranostics, the day was anchored by a throughline that never let up: the patient is at the center of all of it.
Starting with the big picture: nuclear medicine and clinical trials
The morning opened with a grounding overview of nuclear medicine and molecular imaging from Martin Tornai, PhD, of the National Institutes of Health's National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering. For many patients, terms like DOTATATE and PRRT carry enormous weight, and this session gave attendees a clearer foundation for understanding the tools being used in their care.
George Fisher, MD, PhD, of Stanford Cancer Center, then walked through one of the most practical topics a NET patient can navigate: how to understand and evaluate clinical trials. From how trials are structured to what questions to ask your care team, this session was designed to help patients feel more empowered, not overwhelmed, when considering their options.
10:10 AM
Welcome and Announcements
10:10 - 11:00 AM
What is Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging?/Radiation Safety
Martin Tornai, PhD, National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, National Institutes of Health
11:00 - 11:45 AM
How to Understand and Evaluate Clinical Trials
George Fisher, MD, PhD, Stanford Cancer Center, Palo Alto, CA
Over Lunch: Innovations in Imaging
For those attending in person, lunch was more than a meal. Simon Cherry, PhD, of UC Davis, offered an exclusive mid-day talk, "Seeing is Believing," on the latest imaging innovations and how advances in technology are translating into better, more precise patient care.
The Afternoon: All of This, So We Can Live
The afternoon opened in the most meaningful way possible: with a patient story. NCF community member Brenna Bash took the stage and set the tone for everything that followed. Her story was a reminder that behind every data point, every clinical breakthrough, and every hour spent in a treatment chair is a person who wants to be present for their life. Not just to survive, but to truly live.
That spirit carried through every session that followed.
1:20 PM
Neuroendocrine Tumor Overview
George Fisher, MD, PhD · Stanford University
1:40 PM
Meet the Author poster presentations
Lisa Bodei, MD, PhD (MSK) & Frank Lin, MD (NCI)
2:00 PM
Optimizing your health for your NET journey
Eric Liu, MD · Healing NET Foundation
2:40 PM
The role of interventional radiology
Gabriel Fine, MD · City of Hope Cancer Center
3:00 to 3:50 PM
Theranostics: where we are now and where we're going
Lisa Bodei, MD, PhD · Erik Mittra, MD, PhD · Richard Baum, MD, PhD
Dr. Eric Liu's session on optimizing health for the NET journey brought this theme into sharpest focus, addressing not just treatment but the whole person navigating it. And the theranostics sessions with Drs. Bodei, Mittra, and Baum made clear how rapidly the field is expanding, with options growing for patients whose tumors express somatostatin receptors and, crucially, for those in G3 NET and beyond who have historically had fewer paths forward. Professor Richard Baum brought the afternoon to a close with words that felt like the perfect summation of everything the day had stood for.
"Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less." - Marie Curie, as shared by Prof. Richard Baum
The Experts Who Made It Possible
Richard Baum, MD
Curanosticum Wiesbaden, Germany
Lisa Bodei, MD, PhD
Memorial Sloan Kettering, NY
Gabriel Fine, MD
City of Hope, Duarte, CA
George Fisher, MD, PhD
Stanford Cancer Center
Eric Liu, MD
Healing NET Foundation
Erik Mittra, MD, PhD
Oregon Health & Science University
More Than Education: A Community
What makes events like this special isn't just the science. It's the moment a patient realizes they're not navigating this alone, that there's a room full of people who understand the fear, the hope, and the determination it takes to live with a neuroendocrine cancer diagnosis. The in-person networking reception that closed the day gave attendees space to connect, share, and simply be with others who truly get it.
Thanks to Josh Mailman, NorCal CarciNET, the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, and to every speaker who gave their expertise and their time. Thank you to Brenna for her courage in sharing her story. We do all of this because patients deserve to live, and to live well.
Stay connected with NCF
To watch more educational webinars on a variety of topics, visit our YouTube Channel and explore more resources at NCF.net. Our support line, virtual support groups, and NETCONNECT peer-to-peer program are here for you year-round.
THANKS TO NCF SPONSORS
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