Princess Alexandra Hospital is expanding access to cutting-edge cancer care, with the launch of a new clinical theranostics service for patients with metastatic neuroendocrine tumours.
From November 2025, PA Hospital began offering this specialised therapy to all eligible Metro South patients, significantly broadening access to a treatment previously limited to those enrolled in specific clinical trials or requiring travel outside of Metro South HHS.
Theranostics uses targeted radiopharmaceuticals for precise cancer diagnosis and treatment, providing highly effective, individualised care.
For Loganholme’s Pam Huntley, the new service means so much more than just advanced treatment.
She was diagnosed with stage four neuroendocrine cancer after years of unexplained symptoms and severe abdominal pain.
“I’d been to different doctors for a long time and no one really knew what was going on,” said Pam.
After a series of scans and a biopsy, Pam was told she had a slow-growing, but advanced cancer. While the diagnosis was confronting, she has since undergone several treatments, including lutetium-based therapy at a hospital on Brisbane’s north side five years ago.
With her symptoms returning, Pam is now undergoing another round of treatment – this time at PAH.
“When I heard the service was opening here, I was really excited,” she said. “It’s closer to home, and it makes such a difference.”
Previously, Pam relied on long public transport journeys across the city to attend appointments.
“It would take about an hour on the bus, with changes along the way,” she said. “I didn’t mind doing it because I had to, but having this service on the south side is so much more convenient, not just for me, but for other patients too.”
Pam is among the first patients treated through this new service within the Integrated Theranostics Centre.
“I keep joking that I’ll always be number one,” she laughed. Beyond convenience, the treatment also represents hope for more time with family.
Pam is a proud grandmother of six and says her motivation is simple: maintaining quality of life so she can continue to be present for the moments that matter.
“I just want things to slow down a bit and get some quality back,” she said. “I’ve been through so much already, I’m hopeful this will help.”
She also praised all the staff at PA Hospital and the Integrated Theranostics Centre for supporting her.
“The team here has been fantastic,” Pam said. “That makes a big difference when you’re going through something like this.”
The introduction of the clinical theranostics service at PAH marks a significant milestone for Metro South Health, improving equity of access to highly specialised cancer treatment and reducing the burden of travel for patients living on Brisbane’s south side.
The Integrated Theranostics Centre (ITC) was established in 2023 and is one of only two Queensland Health sites and among a select few in Australia offering theranostics for difficult-to-treat cancers.
World Cancer Day is on 4 February 2026, providing an opportunity to acknowledge the extraordinary staff who deliver high-quality, compassionate cancer care to our community. Thank you for everything you do.