Study Questions Value of Interim PET Imaging to Guide Frontline Hodgkin Treatment
HOUSTON — Interim PET-CT imaging (PET2) had almost no impact on clinical decision-making for Hodgkin lymphoma treated with brentuximab vedotin (Adcetris), according to a small clinical study reported here. One of 40 patients had a change in treatment based on PET2 results, regardless of whether the scans were positive or negative. Outcomes did not differ […]
Molecular imaging identifies brain changes in response to food cues; offers insight into obesity interventions
Molecular imaging with 18F-flubatine PET/MRI has shown that neuroreceptors in the brains of individuals with obesity respond differently to food cues than those in normal-weight individuals, making the neuroreceptors a prime target for obesity treatments and therapy. This research, presented at the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging 2023 Annual Meeting, contributes to the […]
Novel PET Imaging Agent Accurately IDs Clear Cell Renal Cancers
An investigational PET imaging agent — zirconium-89 (89Zr)-deferoxamine (DFO)-girentuximab — identified clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) with high sensitivity and specificity, according to results from the phase III ZIRCON trial. Use of the agent achieved sensitivity and specificity rates of 85.5% (95% CI 79.8-89.8) and 87% (95% CI 78.8-92.3), respectively, reported Peter Mulders, MD, […]
Can obesity and stress influence appetite? New study shows it’s all in your head
In a series of experiments using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to measure brain activity across networks in the brain, Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers looked at how stress might increase appetite in obese and lean adults. The researchers found that stress impacts the brain’s responses to food, and that both lean and obese adults react […]
High PSMA Predictive of Good Response to Radioisotope Therapy in Prostate Cancer
Uptake of a transmembrane protein, which is expressed by virtually all prostate cancers, on imaging could be a viable predictive biomarker of patient response to isotope-based therapy, according to data from the phase II TheraP trial. High baseline prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) uptake on PET was predictive of a favorable response to treatment with lutetium-177 […]
How Realistic Is Radical Prostatectomy Without Prior Biopsy?
In patients with a high suspicion of prostate cancer as determined by molecular imaging, avoiding biopsy prior to radical prostatectomy appeared to be feasible, and “might represent a valid option in well-counseled, selected patients,” according to German researchers. In a case series of 25 men who underwent primary radical prostatectomy without prior biopsy after an […]
Active brown adipose tissue protects against ‘pre-prediabetes’
In a prospective study of young, lean adults, PET/CT imaging revealed that higher levels of active brown adipose tissue (also known as “brown fat”) are more prevalent in individuals who exhibit very early indications of metabolic disorders. Published ahead of print in The Journal of Nuclear Medicine, the study suggests that active brown fat is […]
Fluorescence-Guided Lumpectomy Shows Promise
A fluorescence-guided imaging system could improve intraoperative detection of residual breast cancer in women undergoing lumpectomy, a prospective single-arm study suggested. The system, which incorporates the activatable fluorescent imaging agent pegulicianine (LUM015) had higher sensitivity, though lower specificity, than standard pathology review of the main lumpectomy specimen, reported Shelley Hwang, MD, MPH, of Duke University […]
Kernel flow: A wearable device for noninvasive optical brain imaging: A new wearable helmet-shaped device monitors brain activity
Recent advances in brain imaging techniques facilitate accurate, high-resolution observations of the brain and its functions. For example, functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) is a widely used noninvasive imaging technique that employs near-infrared light (wavelength >700 nm) to determine the relative concentration of hemoglobin in the brain, via differences in the light absorption patterns of hemoglobin. […]