Double tracer PET/CT: what is it and what does it mean?

Abstract

⁶⁸Ga-DOTA-peptide PET/CT is a recommended imaging modality in the workup of neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs), which shows high diagnostic sensitivity and is a strong predictor of successful somatostatin receptor directed treatments. Although not routinely recommended, reliable evidences show that ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT can provide complementary information in this setting with the ability to discriminate slow-proliferating tumors from aggressive, rapidly-proliferating tumors. Further, it has been proposed as an independent prognostic factor for the prediction of either overall survival or progression free survival. In this review, we provide insight into the biologic significance of ⁶⁸Ga-DOTA-peptides and ¹⁸F-FDG uptake, and of the use of double tracer (⁶⁸Ga-DOTA-peptides plus ¹⁸F-FDG) PET/CT in the clinical evaluation of patients affected by NENs.

Keywords

⁶⁸Ga-DOTATOC PET/CT / ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT / neuroendocrine neoplasms

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