Positron emission tomography/computed tomography is a hybrid nuclear medicine imaging technique that helps radiologists spot abnormal metabolic activity. PET/CT is commonly used to diagnose cancers, heart diseases and certain brain disorders, among other conditions.
The positive findings come after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration previously shared concerns related to sterility assurance issues during the drug’s production.
“Becoming an independent department elevates this work and strengthens UCLA’s role in shaping the future of precision health," said the department's new acting chairman.
One of the tracer’s more significant advantages is its extended half-life of 109 minutes—significantly longer than other currently available PET MPI imaging agents.
The exam effectively helps providers manage patients’ treatment options, but for some, the costs associated with those treatments may negate the value of its findings.
According to new research, gliomas—a deadly group of brain tumors that are difficult to treat—have increased folate receptor expression, meaning they also show increased uptake of folate-based radiopharmaceuticals on PET imaging.
The recent CMS coverage determination did not make any mention of beta-amyloid PET imaging that is necessary for both diagnosing Alzheimer’s and monitoring the effectiveness of related treatments.
The findings support adopting F-18 DCFPyL PET/CT as the standard of care for prostate cancer staging, authors of a new Scientific Reports paper concluded.
Rather than administering radiolabeled glucose for exams, imagers give patients a small amount of a harmless glucose solution that is said to be equivalent to a can of a carbonated drink.
Difficulty obtaining PET/CT scans was reported by 55% of respondents, with 21% citing this as the greatest barrier in treating classic Hodgkin lymphoma.