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In this episode of Living with Metastatic Cancer, Dr. Peter Crane (physician and SFT patient) interviews Dr. Brandon Mancini. They cover Dr. Mancini’s journey from traditional radiation oncology to leading theranostics at Banff Health, the science behind molecularly targeted radiopharmaceuticals, current FDA-approved treatments, ongoing clinical trials, and how this field offers hope with highly precise, well-tolerated therapies. The conversation highlights opportunities for patients with rare and common cancers, practical access to treatments, and the rapid evolution of the field.
Episode Highlights
- Dr. Mancini’s personal motivation: influenced by his mother’s breast cancer journey and her work as a clinical trials research nurse in radiation oncology
- Career pivot from community radiation oncology to subspecializing in theranostics after training in Germany
- Explanation of theranostics: pairing diagnostic and therapeutic radiotracers that target specific proteins on or around tumor cells
- FDA-approved treatments for metastatic prostate cancer (Pluvicto) and neuroendocrine tumors
- Exciting targets like FAP (fibroblast activation protein) for pan-cancer “basket” trials, including sarcomas and SFT
- Combination therapies, alpha vs. beta emitters, dosing/scheduling innovations, and moving treatments earlier in the disease course
- Banff Health’s comprehensive program, clinical trials across ~15 tumor types, and serving patients from 26 states and 2 countries
- Patient experience: minimal side effects allowing normal activities soon after treatment
- Future outlook: more approvals, earlier use, broader targets, and reduced reliance on traditional chemotherapy
Top 3 Takeaways
- Theranostics represents a new era of precision medicine, highly targeted radiopharmaceuticals attack cancer at the molecular level while sparing healthy tissue, often with excellent tolerability.
- Patients with rare cancers like solitary fibrous tumors can benefit from emerging FAP-targeted trials and should explore clinical trial options and specialized centers.
- The field is advancing rapidly: centralized expertise, more trials, and earlier intervention are expanding access and improving outcomes across many tumor types.
About Dr. Brandon Mancini
Dr. Brandon Mancini is a radiation oncologist and Medical Director at Banff Health in Grand Rapids, Michigan, one of the world’s leading centers for theranostics. After a decade in traditional radiation oncology, he trained in Germany and helped launch Banff Health’s program in 2022. He specializes in targeted radiopharmaceutical therapies and is deeply involved in clinical trials expanding this field.
Connect with Dr. Brandon Mancini
- Banff Health: banffhealth.com
About the Host:
Dr. Peter Crane is a board-certified physician, educator, and storyteller with a heart for service and a calling to spotlight doctors who make a difference—in their communities, in medicine, and in the lives they touch.
Through Doctors Making a Difference, he brings you into intimate conversations with physicians who have overcome challenges, redefined success, and found purpose in and beyond the clinic. His goal is simple: to help more doctors stay in medicine by showing them what's possible.
About the Show:
Doctors Making a Difference is more than a podcast—it’s a movement to highlight the good, the gritty, and the deeply human side of medicine.
In every episode, Dr. Peter Crane interviews physicians whose stories defy the script. From burnout recovery to bold career pivots, health challenges to quiet leadership, this show honors the truth that healing begins with connection—and doctors, too, deserve to be whole.
Visit: doctorsmakingadifference.com
LMC Series Note:
Living with Metastatic Cancer (LMC) explores the science, decisions, and day-to-day realities of life with advanced disease—through candid physician–patient conversation
The Doctors Making a Difference Podcast is for informational purposes only and does not substitute for medical, legal, or professional advice. Always consult appropriate experts regarding your unique circumstances.
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