Daniela Oprea-Lager appointed as professor of Theranostics

Nuclear medicine specialist Daniela Oprea-Lager has been appointed Professor of Theranostics at Radboudumc / Radboud University. Her research focuses on the combination of diagnostics and treatment using radioactive substances, with particular interest for urological tumors, especially prostate cancer. 

Theranostics is a combination of diagnostics and therapy, where doctors use a radioactive-labeled substance to make tumors visible on a PET scan, then assess whether treatment with the same substance, linked to an alpha or beta-particle, so-called radionuclide therapy, is feasible. If so, targeted treatment is possible, such as in prostate cancer. 'The advantage of this combination is that we see what we are treating and treat what we see. It's a great example of personalized care, based on the specific characteristics of both the disease and patient,' says nuclear medicine specialist Daniela Oprea-Lager. She believes this combined care approach is the future and intends to further establish theranostics at Radboudumc in the coming years. 

Maintaining quality of life 

In her own research, she focuses, among other things, on the early use of radionuclide therapies in prostate cancer, before patients are offered intensive systemic treatments, such as hormone therapy. These treatments have serious side effects for many patients, greatly impacting their quality of life. 'If patients receive radionuclide therapy first, we may be able to control the disease, maintain their quality of life, and limit side effects. We already know that this therapy gives positive results in advanced stages of the disease. I believe we can achieve even better outcomes if we apply this therapy earlier in the disease process, when there are only few metastases.' 

Combination therapies 

Oprea-Lager also wants to investigate the effects of combination therapies, where radioactive treatments are used alongside chemotherapy or radiotherapy. The most optimal combination, its effectiveness, and the right sequence of treatments are expected to be key elements, according to Oprea-Lager. 'I am convinced of the added value of combination therapies, where 1 plus 1 equals 3. This holds the potential for patients with prostate cancer that has spread to bones or lymph nodes.' 

New radioactive labeled substances 

Additionally, Daniela Oprea-Lager is exploring the application of new radioactive-labeled substances, such as prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA), fluoroestradiol (FES), and fibroblast activation protein inhibitor (FAPI), for improved diagnosis and treatment of other types of cancer. She explains: 'We are studying how PSMA PET scans can help identify the right therapies and the role of FAPI in pancreatic, liver, and biliary tract tumors. If we achieve good results, we want to apply these new techniques widely in clinical practice.' 

Career 

Daniela Oprea-Lager studied Medicine in Targu-Mures (Romania) and Leiden (the Netherlands). She then specialized as a nuclear medicine physician at Leiden University Medical center (LUMC) and completed a year in Internal Medicine at the ‘Twee Steden’ Hospital (Tilburg). After her training, she worked for fifteen years at Amsterdam UMC, first as fellow, later as medical staff. In 2016, she obtained her PhD for research on the role of imaging with PET/CT scan F-18 choline in prostate cancer (thesis title: Towards personalized therapy for metastatic prostate cancer: technical validation of [18F]fluoromethylcholine). During those years, she became fascinated by diagnostic imaging, particularly PET scans. In her own words: 'The power of imaging is that you can literally look inside the body without surgery. It remains magical.' Driven by her passion for diagnostics and therapy, Oprea-Lager made the transition to Radboudumc in 2024, where a large (pre-)clinical team is bringing translational research to a new dimension. 

In addition, Daniela Oprea-Lager is the chair of the PSMA Forum NL Foundation and a board member of the Dutch-Uro-Oncology Foundation (DUOS). As a member of the European Association of Urology (EAU), she is involved in the implementation of and advising on new guidelines for prostate cancer. She is responsible for education within the ‘Oncology and Theranostics Committee’ of the European Association of Nuclear Medicine (EANM) and serves as liaison between European Nuclear Medicine and Urology associations. With her extensive clinical experience, international network, and commitment, Daniela Oprea-Lager aims to position Radboudumc as an internationally leading, Excellence Theranostics Center. Her appointment as Professor became effective on May 1, 2025, for a period of five years.

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