Food and Drug Administration approved a copper Cu 64 dotatate injection for use in positron emission tomography (PET) scans for certain kinds of neuroendocrine tumors (NETs). The images clearly show NETs anywhere in the body. Following the injection of Ga-68 dotatate, patients undergo a PET scan. PET with Ga-68 dotatate is a newer SRS test that uses a radioactive tracer called Ga-68 dotatate to bind to a tumor’s somatostatin receptors. Positron Emission Tomography (PET) is another type of scan that uses radioactive material and a special scanning device to detect neuroendocrine tumors. Octreotide attaches to the tumor, and a special camera that detects radioactivity shows where the tumors are in the body. Octreotide scanĪ very small amount of radioactive octreotide is injected into a vein and travels through the bloodstream. SRS can also help predict response to somatostatin analogs therapy as well as peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT).
Netspot pet how to#
Talk to your doctor about how to adjust your somatostatin analog before testing. Patients who take somatostatin analogs should discuss with their doctor the best timing for their exam as treatment can interfere with the test. Not all tumors have somatostatin receptors. Somatostatin Receptor Scintigraphy (SRS) is a type of radionuclide scan that uses a radioactive substance that can bind to a tumor’s somatostatin receptors and illuminate them. These images are very useful in contrasting different types of tissue as well as detecting abnormal growths such as tumors within the body. MRI uses radio waves, a powerful magnetic field, and a computer to generate detailed (2 or 3 dimensional) images of the body. A dye may be injected into a vein or swallowed to help the organs or tissues show up more clearly. CT can generate images of different body tissues as well as help detect tumors. Computed Tomography (CT)ĬT is an imaging technique that uses a highly specialized X-Ray machine and computers to create multiple cross-sectional images of the body. Your doctor may use different scans than those used for other cancer types. It can sometimes be difficult to image NETs. Patients who take long-acting somatostatin analogues (Sandostatin) should delay this test for 3-4 weeks after their last dose.Imaging tests are used to diagnose and assess neuroendocrine tumors. Physicians plan to use Netspot PET in order to diagnose neuroendocrine tumors, determine treatment options, plan surgery, and monitor for recurrence. In addition, finding NETs in this manner means the patient would likely be eligible for a new treatment, called Peptide Receptor Radionuclide Therapy (PRRT), that uses hormone-tagged radiation to find and attack the cancer cells. The improved image can help the oncologist choose optimal therapy, such as choosing surgery or systemic therapy. Because PET can be used, the physician gets a very clear, high-resolution image that can identify very small lesions that would otherwise be missed. Completed in a couple hours, this test is much quicker than the onerous three-day octreoscan (which uses a radioactive drug and a gamma camera to measure the radio material over time. This imaging approach significantly improves detection of NETs in three important ways: How is it better than current testing methods? Ga-68 dotatate is a radioactive lookalike of the hormone that binds to the somatostatin receptors, highlighting the tumor on PET imaging. While NETs don’t consume glucose like other cancers, their cells do have plenty of receptors for the hormone somatostatin, which regulates the endocrine system. (PET scans normally detect cancer by infusing patients with a glucose preparation and then identifying the body areas where glucose is being consumed or metabolized rapidly.)Ī new agent, gallium-68 dotatate (Netspot ®), recently FDA-approved and available at Roswell Park, can be used as a PET tracer instead of radiolabeled glucose to identify carcinoid tumors even very small lesions significantly better than any currently available imaging. Typical positron emission tomography (PET) scans are not effective in detecting carcinoid tumors, because unlike other cancers, NETs do not consume glucose rapidly. Neuroendocrine Tumor Survivor: Frank's Story