68 Ga-DOTATATE PET/CT in the Initial Diagnosis of Patients With Clinical, Imaging, and/or Biochemical Suspicion of a Neuroendocrine Tumor.

Abstract

PURPOSE:

The aim of this study was to assess the yield of somatostatin receptor PET in patients with clinical, imaging, and/or biochemical suspicion of a neuroendocrine tumor (NET).

PATIENTS AND METHODS:

This analysis includes patients referred for the initial diagnosis of an unconfirmed NET, as part of a prospective, single-arm registry study (NCT03873870) assessing the utility of 68 Ga-DOTATATE PET/CT in the management of NETs. Inclusion criteria to this cohort consisted of elevated biomarkers and/or clinical presentation suspicious for a NET, with negative conventional cross-sectional imaging, or presence of a lesion suspicious for a NET on conventional imaging, not amenable for biopsy. Patients with histological confirmation of a NET were excluded.

RESULTS:

There were 220 patients included between April 2019 and March 2022 with a mean age ± SD of 59.5 ± 16.1 years with biochemical, morphological, and/or clinical suspicion of a NET. Overall, 132/220 patients (60%) had a positive 68 Ga-DOTATATE PET/CT. 68 Ga-DOTATATE PET/CT confirmed a type 2 somatostatin receptor overexpressing tumor in 123/171 (71.9%) of patients with a radiographically suspicious abnormality. The positivity rate for pancreatic, small bowel/mesenteric, adrenal, and other sites was 78/96 (81.2%), 38/57 (66.7%), 7/7 (100%), and 1/11 (9.1%), respectively. 68 Ga-DOTATATE PET/CT was positive in 9/49 (18.4%) of those with a biochemical and/or clinical suspicion of a NET.

CONCLUSIONS:

68 Ga-DOTATATE PET/CT is positive in nearly 3 of 4 patients with morphological suspicion of a NET, with the highest yield in those with pancreatic and small bowel or mesenteric masses, and in approximately 1 of 6 patients with biochemical and/or clinical suspicion of a NET.

• Authors: Ur Metser, Shereen Ezzat, Simron Singh, Sten Myrehaug, Shiva Rahimi, Daryl Gray, Amit Singnurkar
• Journal: Clinical nuclear medicine (Clin Nucl Med) Vol. 48 Issue 11 Pg. 933-936 (Nov 01 2023) ISSN: 1536-0229 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 37703482 (Publication Type: Journal Article)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2023 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.

Chemical References

• copper dotatate CU-64
• Receptors, Somatostatin
• Gallium-68
• Organometallic Compounds

Topics

• Humans
• Positron Emission Tomography Computed Tomography
• Neuroendocrine Tumors (diagnostic imaging, pathology)
• Receptors, Somatostatin
• Prospective Studies
• Organometallic Compounds