The National Cancer Institute and researchers around the globe are exploring and developing an array of new biomarkers that could edge molecular imaging toward routine clinical practice and help deliver on the promise of personalized medicine.

Imaging biomarkers have been developed for use in early cancer diagnosis, staging and restaging of disease and monitoring the effects of therapeutic interventions. In addition, biomarkers for evaluating coronary function and perfusion are well-established. Imaging biomarkers targeting neurodegenerative diseases also are widely used in the clinic.

Obesity is a known risk factor for ischemic heart disease, and conducting advanced coronary analysis within this patient population is challenging. SPECT/CT has emerged as a molecular imaging workhorse for evaluating obese patients with coronary artery disease.

CLR1404 is entering clinical trials as an anti-cancer therapy agent. It appears well-suited to staging a variety of cancer types and metastatic disease. More specific than FDG, it avoids the complications caused by inflammation or scar tissue. Stay tuned.

In the past decade, CT has established itself as a workhorse in providing anatomical landmarks for molecular imaging. Pairing of the technology with traditional nuclear medicine modalities such as SPECT and PET has propelled the growth of molecular imaging beyond the boundaries of academic research into the mainstream of clinical care.

 PET/CT and SPECT/CT are helping to detect and diagnose coronary artery disease in women earlier and better. Previously under-diagnosed or misdiagnosed altogether particularly in women, new exams are effectively assessing myocardial perfusion, offering an alternative to nuclear stress tests that often lead to false positive results in women. Fewer attenuation artifacts also mean sharper images.

High-definition is the goal in PET/CT imaging. HD met PET/CT last yearwhen Siemens Medical Solutions introduced a new technology designed tobring significant improvements to PET/CT image quality. High DefinitionPET (HD•PET) brings the promise of sharper and more clearly definedimages across the entire field of view, as well as the potential toprovide greater accuracy in lesion detection, especially small lesions,and thus improve cancer staging and more targeted treatment.

Michael Milbourne, MD, of New Life Cardiovascular in Wyndmoor, Pa., anuclear cardiologist in academic and private practice, is committed tooffering his patients outstanding, informed and proactive clinicalcare. In the last year, SPECT/CT has become an essential diagnostictool in Milbourne’s practice.