The clinical value of combined 68Ga-SSA/18F-FDG PET/CT imaging in neuroendocrine neoplasms / 中华核医学与分子影像杂志

ABSTRACT

Neuroendocrine neoplasms (NEN) are tumors that originate from neuroendocrine cells or peptidergic neurons. NEN can be found in a variety of organs with high heterogeneity in pathology and large difference in prognosis. Conventional imaging methods and pathological biopsy have important roles in the diagnosis of NEN, while both of them have limitations. Most NEN cells highly express several peptide receptors, especially somatostatin receptors (SSTR). Moreover, some of them have high glycolysis activity because of high proliferative activity. 68Ga-somatostatin analogs (68Ga-SSA) combined with 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) PET/CT imaging can comprehensively evaluate both the expression of SSTR and the activity of glycolysis in NEN, providing effective information for diagnosis, treatment, monitoring and prognosis. This review summarizes the current studies of combined 68Ga-SSA/18F-FDG PET/CT imaging in patients with NEN.