SPECIAL ARTICLE  NUCLEAR ENDOCRINOLOGY IN THE ERA OF PRECISION MEDICINE Free access

The Quarterly Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging 2022 June;66(2):141-7

DOI: 10.23736/S1824-4785.22.03450-1

Copyright © 2022 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

Molecular imaging of endocrine neoplasms with emphasis on 18F-DOPA PET: a practical approach for well-tailored imaging protocols

Christelle FARGETTE ¹, Alessio IMPERIALE ², David TAÏEB ¹ ✉

¹ Department of Nuclear Medicine, CERIMED, La Timone University Hospital, Aix-Marseille University, Marseille, France; ² Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Institut de Cancérologie de Strasbourg Europe (ICANS), IPHC, UMR 7178, University Hospitals of Strasbourg, CNRS/University of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France

6-[18F]-L-fluoro-L-3, 4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (¹⁸F-DOPA) PET/CT can be a useful tool for the detection of different neuroendocrine tumors (NETs). The main determinants of ¹⁸F-DOPA uptake and retention by NETs are related to expression of LAT1/LAT2 transporters, expression and activity of AADC and biochemical phenotype, all being intimately inter-connected to their embryological origin. In order to improve sensitivity of ¹⁸F-DOPA PET, it is of main importance to perform indivisualized imaging protocols across primaries. This review provides a practical approach for performing well-tailored imaging protocols and describes the clinical value of the recommended radiopharmaceuticals.

KEY WORDS: Neuroendocrine tumors; Thyroid cancer, medullary; Endocrine gland neoplasms; Positron-emission tomography