SAM Nordic stories

World Theragnostics Day 2025

This marks the day when Dr Saul Hertz on March 31st, 1941, made history by administering the first radioiodine treatment at Massachusetts General Hospital. A groundbreaking moment in medical history! The word theragnostics is cool but also derived from the Greek words therapia and diagnosis. Pretty neat, right?

By bridging the gap between diagnosis and treatment, it’s paving the way for a paradigm shift in care of complex diseases such as cancer. The method has real potential in nuclear medicine, where radioactive isotopes are used for both diagnostic imaging studies and targeted treatment. That’s the beauty of theragnostics!

Theragnostics opens doors to more hopeful treatment for patients with complex diseases and are on the way to changing cancer care to be more tailored and patient-centered.

Not quite sure what theragnostics is all about? No worries, backed by 25+ years in nuclear medicine, we’re experts in the field. Here’s a quick crash course to fill in some knowledge gaps:

When one size does not fit all

We got a glimpse of the reality for skiers with disabilities. Try to keep the balance with only your hands and snowboarding without the help of your legs, or steer with a straw in your mouth. It gave us all great respect for the knowledge and drive these dedicated ski instructors and skiers possess. Regardless of how one gets down the slopes, we all agree it is a sport filled with speed and freedom for everyone.

One of our co-workers described the day like this:

“I hadn’t realised how much effort, innovation and money it takes to get everyone on skis. They are driven by commitment and passion that leads to inclusive skiing.’

And the incredible thing is that it is a non-profit organisation entirely dependent on external grants and partnerships to operate and develop.

Conventional ski rental can be tricky for everyone, but in Totalskidskolan’s case, it is another level of complexity. All the gear is customised, and depending on the skier, it will be adapted to fit the user of the day. The skier can choose and re-choose different equipment depending on the day’s preferences. It can also be a seat change, and the steering handles can be changed to levers or a crossbar handle or the ski can be changed to more or less a turning radius.

Some innovative equipment comes from Sweden, but development in cooperation with other countries is sometimes needed to customise the gear and functions.

We are incredibly proud to be partners with people who are enablers!

Or, as one of our co-workers explained:

“I am proud to work for a company that genuinely strives for inclusion and equality, and our collaboration with Totalskidskolan is a testament to that”.

Proud steps for an important cause!

It’s been a great time running and walking, both to promote our own health and to contribute to something bigger. Prostate cancer is Sweden’s most common cancer, but together we can make a difference.

Some of us have run on race tracks, by the lake, others on snow and sometimes forgotten to count the run via apps, but we have all had a lot of fun along the way – for increased awareness of this cancer and research that saves lives!

World Patient Safety Day

17 September marks the annual World Patient Safety Day, and this year, the focus is on enhancing diagnosis for patient safety.

As advocates for NET patients in the Nordic and Baltic countries, we at SAM Nordic want to highlight the importance of “Get it right, make it safe!”. World Patient Safety Day raises public awareness and fosters collaboration between patients, health workers, policymakers, and healthcare leaders to improve patient safety.

This year, the theme is “Improving diagnosis for patient safety”, with the slogan “Get it right, make it safe!” highlighting the critical importance of correct and timely diagnosis in ensuring patient safety and improving health outcomes.

The road to Barncancerfonden

To celebrate this milestone, we laced up our running shoes and embarked on a symbolic journey, running from our Headquarters in Nacka Strand to the heart of Stockholm, where we presented the Foundation with a cheque. 💌

Our visit to Barncancerfonden was a testament to the real-world impact of our support. We were warmly received by their secretary general, Ola Mattsson, and had a productive session with Johanna Andrae, who enlightened us on their rigorous science grant selection process. 🔬🧪🧫👩‍🔬

Theranostics or theragnostics?

This is our perspective on recent years’ debate regarding how to spell this fascinating word: “Theranostics” or “Theragnostics”? Both spellings have a long history of use. It is understood that both versions refer to the treatment strategy that combines therapeutics with diagnostics, and the word is derived from the Greek words therapia and diagnosis. 

In our search for answers following the debate in recent years, we came upon an interesting article¹. We believe that Prof. George Babiniotis, Emeritus and Honorary Professor of Linguistics and former Rector (2000–2006) of the University of Athens, has excellent and credible thoughts. Our position is based on his reasoning. In the article, Prof. Babiniotis explains the following: 

“Theragnostics is the better term. In theranostics, the second part of the word “nostics” refers more to the disease than diagnostics. Linguistically, the better approach is a synergy of the two words therapo-gnostics because “thera” alone does not refer to therapy and could be confused with the Greek word for hunting.” 

Babiniotis argues that it is essential to understand that the key to the term “theragnostics” is “gnosis”, not “agnosis”, whereas “agnosis” is derived from the Greek word agnosia , which means a lack of knowledge. Thus, “theragnostics” is a better term emphasising knowledge, and as the article elegantly summarises “, nuclear medicine with its combination of molecular imaging and molecular radiotherapy does indeed offer knowledge-based precision medicine”.