Neuroendocrine Surgeon Dr. Eric Liu is one of the authors of “Safety and Efficacy of Ga-DOTATATE PET/CT for Diagnosis, Staging and Treatment Management of Neuroendocrine Tumors” recently published in the Journal of Nuclear Medicine. It is a description of the first clinical trial of 68-Gallium-DOTATATE PET/CT imaging in the United States.
The study compared the safety and effectiveness of two nuclear imaging diagnostic tests Ga-DOTATATE PET/CT to 111 In(Indium) –Pentetreotide (Octreoscan). Both tests use radiopeptide tracers to detect neuroendocrine tumors (NETs). The 68-GA-PET is currently only available as a clinical trial while the In-Pentetreotide is approved by the FDA and more widely available. Study results showed the Gallium 68 PET/CT to be a more accurate diagnostic tool than the Octreoscan as well as a safer option for patients, with a lack of significant toxicity and lower radiation exposure.
Rocky Mountain Cancer Centers is working toward having the 68-GA-PET available clinically for patients later this spring.
