Dear Molecular Imaging Insider,
FDG-PET has long been advocated as a prime modality to stage various cancers and assess patient treatment. Unfortunately, the modality may not be as effective as perceived when monitoring Hodgkin's and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma cases.
Dutch researchers are calling into question the value of FDG-PET after finding a high percentage of false-positive results among this patient population during or after curative treatment. The study authors from the University Medical Center Utrecht went on to say the modality can be costly and expose the patient to potentially harmful ionizing radiation without benefit to their overall health.
Read more about their meta-analysis in our article posted today.
We also offer a PET/MRI study from Germany, in which researchers found the hybrid modality is as proficient as PET/CT in detecting primary cancer and metastases from an unknown primary tumor. Their assessment found that PET/MRI is a "powerful alternative" with significantly less exposure to ionizing radiation for patients.
And, speaking of PET/MRI, a simulation study from the University of Tübingen in Germany concluded that PET tracer dose can be significantly reduced in pediatric cancer patients, while maintaining diagnostic-quality images. Researchers developed and validated a methodology to accurately create low-activity PET images from previously acquired PET scan data.
Meanwhile, PET/CT is alive and well in Russia, and a new network of approximately 30 scanners is now available. That increase is significant, considering there were only 10 PET/CT systems in the country seven years ago. Still, challenges remain to make the hybrid modality accessible to more patients.
Radiology is an important tool in precision medicine by depicting early abnormalities, predicting prognoses, grading abnormalities, and defining follow-up outcomes, which facilitate clinical decision-making for personalized care. Read this fascinating perspective on the future role of radiology in virtual biopsies and the quantitative imaging evaluation of biologic parameters.
Be sure to visit the Molecular Imaging Community on a daily basis to stay informed on the latest news and research from around the continent and the world.
