Molecular Imaging

Molecular imaging (also called nuclear medicine or nuclear imaging) can image the function of cells inside the body at the molecular level. This includes the imaging modalities of positron emission computed tomography (PET) and single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) imaging. How does PET and SPECT imaging work? Small amounts of radioactive material (radiopharmaceuticals) injected into a patient. These can use sugars or chemical traits to bond to specific cells. The radioactive material is taken up by cells that consume the sugars. The radiation emitted from inside the body is detected by photon detectors outside the body. Computers take the data to assemble images of the radiation emissions. Nuclear images may appear fuzzy or ghostly rather than the sharper resolution from MRI and CT.  But, it provides metabolic information at a cellular level, showing if there are defects in the function of the heart, areas of very high metabolic activity associated with cancer cells, or areas of inflammation, data not available from other modalities. These noninvasive imaging exams are used to diagnose cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, bone disorders and other disorders. 

SPECT/CT helps personalize treatment options for prostate cancer patients

Using SPECT/CT imaging, providers can stratify patients based on their treatment responses and make personalized adjustments accordingly.

June 29, 2023
molecular imaging study on brain connections in obese individuals

Obesity linked to altered brain connectivity on PET/MRI exams

New research, presented at SNMMI 2023, details how the brains of obese individuals differ from those who maintain a healthy weight.  

June 27, 2023
SNMMI Image of the Year

SNMMI unveils Image of the Year

This year the Henry N. Wagner Jr., Image of the Year is actually a group of images displaying the efficacy of a 68Ga-DOTA-5G and 177Lu-DOTA-ABM-5G theranostic pairing that improves the detection and treatment of metastatic pancreatic cancer. 

June 26, 2023
whole-body pet scanner add-on device presented at #SNMMI 2023

New PET technology offers 'clear improvement' of whole-body scan resolution

The new technology achieves this by way of two add-on detectors that simultaneously scan patients during their whole-body PET exam.

June 26, 2023
Prostate Cancer

New prostate cancer PET imaging agent officially available for commercial use

Posluma (flotufolastat F 18) received the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s approval in May 2023.

June 21, 2023
folate-based radiopharmaceuticals

Folate-based radiopharmaceuticals could improve detection of gliomas

According to new research, gliomas—a deadly group of brain tumors that are difficult to treat—have increased folate receptor expression, meaning they also show increased uptake of folate-based radiopharmaceuticals on PET imaging.

June 15, 2023
brain money alzheimer dementia

Will PET imaging be covered alongside new Alzheimer's drugs? CMS dodges topic in new coverage decision

The recent CMS coverage determination did not make any mention of beta-amyloid PET imaging that is necessary for both diagnosing Alzheimer’s and monitoring the effectiveness of related treatments.

June 5, 2023
Two examples of PSMA-PET scans showing numerous prostate cancer metastases spread throughout the body. Many of these smaller tumors would not have been detected on previous standard-of-care imaging. Photo on left courtesy of SNMMI, right University of Chicago. #PSMAPET

PSMA-PET a more cost-effective option for patients long-term compared to standard prostate imaging

The findings support adopting F-18 DCFPyL PET/CT as the standard of care for prostate cancer staging, authors of a new Scientific Reports paper concluded.

May 25, 2023

Around the web

The FDA-approved technology developed by HeartFlow can predict a patient's long-term risk of target vessel failure as well as more invasive treatments performed inside a cath lab. 

Using CT to perform coronary artery calcium scoring on symptomatic chest pain patients can deliver significant value, according to a new data published in Radiology

Kate Hanneman, MD, explains why many vendors and hospitals want to lower radiology's impact on the environment. "Taking steps to reduce the carbon footprint in healthcare isn’t just an opportunity," she said. "It’s also a responsibility."

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