Now that hybrid PET/CT systems are thoroughly mainstream, standardization of practice has moved into the spotlight. A thorough F-18 FDG PET/CT oncological report should include much more than just what meets the eye, according to the authors of a comprehensive review published in the May issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine.

Amyloid imaging is now promising earlier Alzheimer’s disease diagnoses and potential anti-amyloid therapies in the not-too-distant future. The radiotracer C-11 Pittsburgh compound-B (C-11 PiB) has been proven effective for amyloid PET imaging and has outperformed many F-18 bound biomarkers, but the radiotracer F-18 NAV4694 is showing a binding pattern that nearly mirrors that of C-11 PiB with all the logistical perks of a fluorine-based agent, according to research being published in the June edition of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine.

PET Response Criteria in Solid Tumors (PERCIST) provides similar outcomes to the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) criteria for quantifying response to anticancer treatment using PET/CT, but PERCIST may provide a clearer protocol conducive for widespread adoption, according to a review of the two models published in the April edition of the Journal of Nuclear Medicine.

Manhattan Scientifics (MHTX: OTCQB) announced today that it has received the initial $1 million of a $2.5 million commitment to build the first generation of its advanced cancer detection devices. More information can be found in the company’s recent 8-K filing.

Optical and optoacoustic imaging techniques have been emerging in research and have been slowly translating into clinical practice with humans, and research indicates that these techniques could be expanded further into interventional image guidance in the search for tumors, with both advantages and limitations, according to a review published in the April issue of the Journal of Nuclear Medicine.

A gene variant dubbed ABCA7 nearly doubles chances of African Americans developing Alzheimer’s disease compared to African Americans without the variant. This particular gene variant plays a role in lipid and cholesterol homeostasis and lipid-targeting drugs may be sought to improve prevention and potentially treat this patient population, according research published in the April issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Researchers from the Indiana University Center for Aging Research and the Regenstrief Institute are conducting the nation’s first randomized controlled dementia screening trial to weigh the benefits and risks of routine screening for dementia. The results of the five-year trial will help policy-makers, individuals and families weigh the pros and cons of routine screening of adults age 65 and older.

While radiographic evaluation of breast cancer may provide important information about tumor structures, it does not provide information about tumor burden. A novel method of cancer assay singling out circulating tumor DNA could provide additional information about tumor activity and lead to more accurate assessment and patient prognosis, according to a study published in the March edition of the New England Journal of Medicine.