IU Health Launches Theranostics Center to Advance Precision Oncology

The new center combines diagnostic imaging with image-guided therapy, allowing clinicians to identify disease locations at the cellular level and deliver precise treatment. This approach moves away from generalized protocols, enabling physicians to tailor interventions to an individual patient’s biological profile. Backed by a $40 million investment—including a $20 million gift from Sarah and John Lechleiter and Deborah and Randall Tobias—the program expands on the existing infrastructure of the Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center.

While currently focused on prostate and neuroendocrine cancers, the center intends to broaden its scope through new clinical trials and investigational drug programs. Rather than operating from a single facility, the program is designed as a distributed network, with planned growth in Bloomington, Fort Wayne, Lafayette, and the North Indianapolis metro area. By bridging the gap between laboratory discovery and bedside delivery, the center aims to provide patients with early access to cutting-edge therapies while minimizing systemic side effects.