Positron emission computed tomography targeting urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR) in cancer: a systematic review.

INTRODUCTION: To provide an overview of the available literature data on clinical applications of positron emission tomography (PET) targeting the urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor in oncology. METHODS: A literature search was conducted in PubMed, Web of Science and Scopus databases up to June 2023. The results were presented according to the PRISMA guidelines. The quality of the studies was assessed using the Critical Appraisal Skill Program checklist. RESULTS: Seven papers were selected for final analysis, involving 266 patients with solid tumors who underwent PET with uPAR-ligands. Thematic areas identified include feasibility studies (n = 2) on the safety, pharmacokinetics, and dosimetry of uPAR-targeting radiopharmaceuticals; uPAR-directed imaging in head and neck cancer (n = 2); uPAR PET in prostate cancer (n = 2); and the investigation of uPAR in neuroendocrine neoplasms (n = 1). Six of the seven studies used the radiopharmaceutical [68Ga]Ga-NOTA-AE105 while one study used [64Cu]Cu-DOTA-AE105. The studies showed protocol homogeneity, with static PET imaging at 20 minutes. The quality assessment revealed limitations such as small cohorts and the fact that all studies were performed by a single research group. CONCLUSIONS: uPAR-PET appears to be a promising imaging tool in well-selected oncological settings, but it needs to be validated by multicentre collaboration.

Functional Imaging in Musculoskeletal Disorders in Menopause.

Menopause-related musculoskeletal (MSK) disorders include osteoporosis, osteoarthritis (OA), sarcopenia and sarco-obesity. This review focuses on the applications of nuclear medicine for the functional imaging of the aforementioned clinical conditions. Bone Scan (BS) with 99mTc-labeled phosphonates, alone or in combination with MRI, can identify "fresh" vertebral collapse due to age-associated osteoporosis and provides quantitative parameters characterized by a good correlation with radiological indices in patients with OA. 18F-NaF PET, particularly when performed by dynamic scan, has given encouraging results for measuring bone turnover in osteoporosis and allows the evaluation of subchondral bone metabolic activity in OA. FDG PET can help discriminate between pathological and nonpathological vertebral fractures, especially by applying appropriate SUV-based thresholds. In OA, it can effectively image inflamed joints and support appropriate clinical management. Preliminary evidences suggest a possible application of FDG in sarco-obesity for the detection and quantification of visceral adipose tissue (VAT). Further studies are needed to better define the role of nuclear medicine in menopause-related MSK disease, especially as regards the possible impact of new radiopharmaceuticals (ie, FAPI and RGD peptides) and recent technological advances (eg, total-body PET/CT scanners).

Extraosseous distribution of 99mTc-diphosphonates during bone scintigraphy: review of the literature with case series presentation.

PURPOSE: Technetium-99m (99mTc)-diphosphonates represent the most common radiopharmaceutical used for bone scintigraphy. Even if the uptake in bone tissue has been widely explored, atypical uptake could be seen in soft tissue malignancies during bone scintigraphy. Increased vascularization and endothelium permeability represent front-row players in the biodistribution of the tracer, albeit other causes have been identified such as trauma, necrosis, the presence of calcification in metastasis, the pH of the tissue and consequently the type of ion concentration. CONCLUSION: The aim of this paper is to summarize the state of art of atypical soft tissue uptake seen in cancer tissues. The research was conducted on PubMed. The analysis of the literature suggests that calcium metabolism and ionic saturation have a pivotal role in the biodistribution of bone tracers. This phenomenon ranks in a complex scenario that includes carcinogenesis and cancer environment aspects. We also report two cases in our Institution in which atypical uptake in cancer tissues was observed.

18F-FDG PET/CT technology for the assessment of brown adipose tissue: an updated review.

INTRODUCTION: This review provides an update of 18 F-fluorodeoxyglucose ([18F] FDG) for Brown adipose tissue (BAT) activity quantification, whose role is not completely understood. AREAS COVERED: We conducted an unstructured search of the literature for any studies employing the [18F] FDG PET in BAT assessment. We explored BAT quantification both in healthy individuals and in different pathologies, after cold exposure and as a metabolic biomarker. The assessment of possible BAT modulators by using [18F] FDG PET is shown. Further PET tracers and novel developments for BAT assessments are also described. EXPERT OPINION: Further PET tracers and imaging modalities are under investigation, but the [18F] FDG PET is currently the method of choice for the evaluation of BAT and further multicentric trials are needed for a better understanding of the BAT physiopathology, also after cold stimuli. The modulation of BAT activity, assessed by [18F] FDG PET imaging, seems a promising tool for the management of conditions such as obesity and type 2 diabetes. Moreover, an interesting possible correlation of BAT activation with prognostic [18F] FDG PET indices in cancer patients should be assessed with further multicentric trials.

Molecular imaging of PARP in cancer: state-of-the-art.

INTRODUCTION: Poly-ADP-ribose-polymerase inhibitors (PARPi), which exploit the processes of so-called 'synthetic lethality,' have been successfully implemented in oncological practice. However, not all patients respond to PARPi, and there is an unmet need for noninvasive biomarkers suitable for patient selection and monitoring during PARPi therapy. AREAS COVERED: The first clinical applications of molecular imaging with positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) with [18F]-FluorThanatrace ([18F]-FTT) and [18F]-PARPi, highly effective PARP-ligands, in patients with several malignancies (head and neck, ovarian, prostate, and breast cancer) are covered, with a particular focus on its potential for pre-treatment selection and follow-up. EXPERT OPINION: By a search made on the most common database, such as PubMed and Google Scholar in a period from January 2010 and 2023, first clinical evidence suggests that PET/CT with [18F]-FTT and [18F]-PARPi might represent a reliable tool for in vivo imaging and quantification of PARP-1 expression in ovarian, prostate, breast, head, and neck cancer, supporting their potential usefulness for patient selection before PARPi-therapies. In addition, a reduction in [18F]-FTT uptake has been registered after therapy initiation and seems to be correlated with patient outcome after PARPi-based regimens. Further studies are needed to better address the value of PARPI-radiolabeled PET imaging in these clinical settings, especially as it concerns technical features such as optimal scan modality (dynamic vs. static) and timing.

The added value of lung perfusion scintigraphy semiquantitative measures in post-COVID patients with persistent dyspnea without pulmonary embolism.

BACKGROUND: Persistent dyspnea is frequent in post-COVID patients, even in the absence of pulmonary embolism (PE). In this scenario, the role of lung perfusion scintigraphy is unclear. The present study correlated scintigraphy-based semiquantitative perfusion parameters with chest high-resolution computed tomography (hrCT) volumetric indexes and clinical data in post-COVID patients with persistent dyspnea. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Sixty patients (30 post-COVID and 30 not previously affected by COVID-19) with persistent dyspnea submitted to lung perfusion scintigraphy and hrCT were retrospectively recruited. Perfusion rates of the pulmonary fields and hrCT-based normalized inflated, emphysematous, infiltrated, collapsed, and vascular lung volumes were calculated. Inflammatory and coagulation biomarkers were collected. PE at imaging was an exclusion criterion. RESULTS: Compared to controls, reduced perfusion rates of the lower pulmonary fields and higher perfusion rates of the middle ones were observed in post-COVID patients, while hrCT findings were superimposable between the two groups. Perfusion rates of lower pulmonary fields were significantly associated only with abnormal lung volumes at hrCT. CONCLUSIONS: In post-COVID dyspnea without PE, lung perfusion scintigraphy may reveal a pulmonary involvement not detectable by hrCT. Post-COVID patients may show decreased perfusion rates of lower pulmonary fields in the presence of normal vascular density and markers of inflammation/coagulation.

Subtle changes in central dopaminergic tone underlie bradykinesia in essential tremor.

INTRODUCTION: In this research, our primary objective was to explore the correlation between basal ganglia dopaminergic neurotransmission, assessed using 123I-FP-CIT (DAT-SPECT), and finger movements abnormalities in patients with essential tremor (ET) and Parkinson's disease (PD). METHODS: We enrolled 16 patients with ET, 17 with PD, and 18 healthy controls (HC). Each participant underwent comprehensive clinical evaluations, kinematic assessments of finger tapping. ET and PD patients underwent DAT-SPECT imaging. The DAT-SPECT scans were subjected to both visual and semi-quantitative analysis using DaTQUANT®. We then investigated the correlations between the clinical, kinematic, and DAT-SPECT data, in patients. RESULTS: Our findings confirm that individuals with ET exhibited slower finger tapping than HC. Visual evaluation of radiotracer uptake in both striata demonstrated normal levels within the ET patient cohort, while PD patients displayed reduced uptake. However, there was notable heterogeneity in the quantification of uptake within the striata among ET patients. Additionally, we found a correlation between the amount of radiotracer uptake in the striatum and movement velocity during finger tapping in patients. Specifically, lower radioligand uptake corresponded to decreased movement velocity (ET: coef. = 0.53, p-adj = 0.03; PD: coef. = 0.59, p-adj = 0.01). CONCLUSION: The study's findings suggest a potential link between subtle changes in central dopaminergic tone and altered voluntary movement execution, in ET. These results provide further insights into the pathophysiology of ET. However, longitudinal studies are essential to determine whether the slight reduction in dopaminergic tone observed in ET patients represents a distinct subtype of the disease or could serve as a predictor for the clinical progression into PD.

The new bone WB-SPECT/CT: hybrid, from head-to-toe and digital! Is it worth the effort?

INTRODUCTION: A bone scan (BS) plays a pivotal role in many oncological and non-oncological conditions. The planar BS is characterized by high sensitivity but low specificity. With respect to planar imaging, the implementation of single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) has allowed increased image contrast and more accurate tracer localization. AREAS COVERED: Recent technological innovations in the field of BS are treated, with a particular focus on multi-field-of-view devices allowing to cover the entire scan length with a 3D acquisition (WB-SPECT/CT). In addition, the applications of cadmium zinc telluride/CzT detectors capable of converting gamma photons directly into electrical impulses (i.e. 'digital SPECT') are discussed. EXPERT OPINION: Initial clinical experiences indicate that WB-SPECT/CT is characterized by higher sensitivity, diagnostic accuracy, and increased confidence in image interpretation with respect to the 'old-fashioned' BS (planar images with or without a single field-of-view SPECT). Furthermore, CzT-based detectors, thanks to their superior sensitivity, might be helpful to implement fast acquisition protocols. Further studies are needed to better define the clinical impact of bone CzT WB-SPECT/CT on patients' management and outcome, as well as its cost-benefit ratio.

Role of Functional Neuroimaging with 123I-MIBG and 123I-FP-CIT in De Novo Parkinson's Disease: A Multicenter Study.

BACKGROUND: Parkinson's disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder, with incidence and prevalence rates of 8-18 per 100,000 people per year and 0.3-1%, respectively. As parkinsonian symptoms do not appear until approximately 50-60% of the nigral DA-releasing neurons have been lost, the impact of routine structural imaging findings is minimal at early stages, making Parkinson's disease an ideal condition for the application of functional imaging techniques. The aim of this multicenter study is to assess whether 123I-FP-CIT (DAT-SPECT), 123I-MIBG (mIBG-scintigraphy) or an association of both exams presents the highest diagnostic accuracy in de novo PD patients. METHODS: 288 consecutive patients with suspected diagnoses of Parkinson's disease or non- Parkinson's disease syndromes were analyzed in the present Italian multicenter retrospective study. All subjects were de novo, drug-naive patients and met the inclusion criteria of having undergone both DAT-SPECT and mIBG-scintigraphy within one month of each other. RESULTS: The univariate analysis including age and both mIBG-SPECT and DAT-SPECT parameters showed that the only significant values for predicting Parkinson's disease in our population were eH/M, lH/M, ESS and LSS obtained from mIBG-scintigraphy (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: mIBG-scintigraphy shows higher diagnostic accuracy in de novo Parkinson's disease patients than DAT-SPECT, so given the superiority of the MIBG study, the combined use of both exams does not appear to be mandatory in the early phase of Parkinson's disease.

Radio-Guided Lung Surgery: A Feasible Approach for a Cancer Precision Medicine.

BACKGROUND: Radio-guided surgery is a reliable approach used for localizing ground-glass opacities, lung nodules, and metastatic lymph nodes. Lung nodules, lymph node metastatic involvement, and ground-glass opacities often represent a challenge for surgical management and clinical work-up. METHODS: PubMed research was conducted from January 1997 to June 2023 using the keywords "radioguided surgery and lung cancer". RESULTS: Different studies were conducted with different tracers: technetium-99m-albumin macroaggregates, cyanoacrylate combined to technetium-99m-sulfur colloid, indium-111-pentetreotide, and fluorine-18-deoxyglucose. A study proposed naphthalocyanine radio-labeled with copper-64. Radio-guided surgery has been demonstrated to be a reliable approach in localizing a lesion, and has a low radiological burden for personnel exposure and low morbidity. The lack of necessity to conduct radio-guided surgery under fluoroscopy or echography makes this radio-guided surgery an easy way of performing precise surgical procedures. CONCLUSIONS: Radio-guided surgery is a feasible approach useful for the intraoperative localization of ground-glass opacities, lung nodules, and metastatic lymph nodes. It is a valid alternative to the existing approaches due to its low cost, associated low morbidity, the possibility to perform the procedure after several hours, the low radiation dose applied, and the small amount of time that is required to perform it.

Sex differences in 123I-mIBG scintigraphy imaging techniques in patients with heart failure.

BACKGROUND: 123I-mIBG-scintigraphy could be a useful stratifying tool for patients with heart failure (HF). The purpose of this retrospective study is to evaluate whether there are differences between men and women with HF in terms of the prediction of cardiac arrhythmic events (AE). RESEARCH AND METHODS: A total of 306 patients, before implantable-cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) implantation, were evaluated. They underwent 123I-mIBG-scintigraphy and an evaluation of the results was performed after 85 months of follow-up. Early and late planar and SPECT cardiac images were acquired. Heart-to-mediastinum ratio (HM) for planar images and the sum of the segmental scores (SS) for SPECT were calculated. RESULTS: In the general population, age, early SS (ESS), late SS (LSS), and ejection fraction (EF) were statistically significant for the prediction of AE at Cox regression, while early and late HM (eHM,lHM) were not significative for the prediction of AE. Population was divided into females and males and univariate analysis was conducted separately for the two cohorts: no significant variables for prediction of AE were found in females. For males, ESS, LSS, EF, and late HM were statistically significant predictors of AE. The overall survival was similar in males and females, but the risk of AE is lower in males than in females. CONCLUSIONS: 123I-mIBG represents a more effective tool for the prediction of AE in male patients than in women.

Novel Theranostic Approaches Targeting CCR4-Receptor, Current Status and Translational Prospectives: A Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND: With the high mortality rate of malignant tumors, there is a need to find novel theranostic approaches to provide an early diagnosis and targeted therapy. The chemokine receptor 4 (CCR4) is highly expressed in various tumors and plays an important role in tumor pathogenesis. This systematic review aims to provide a complete overview on clinical and preclinical applications of the CCR4 receptor as a target for theranostics, using a systematic approach to classify and assemble published studies performed on humans and animals, sorted by field of application and specific tumor. METHODS: A systematic literature search of articles suiting the inclusion criteria was conducted on Pubmed, Scopus, Central, and Web of Science databases, including papers published from January 2006 to November 2022. Eligible studies had to be performed on humans and/or in vivo/in vitro studying CCR4 expression in tumors. The methodological quality was assessed through the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) assessing only the studies performed on humans. RESULTS: A total of 17 articles were screened. The articles were assessed for eligibility with the exclusion of 4 articles. Ultimately, 13 articles were selected for the qualitative analysis, and six articles were selected for the critical appraisal skills program. CONCLUSIONS: The development of new radionuclides and radiopharmaceuticals targeting CCR4 show promising results in the theranostics of CCR4 sensible tumors. Although to widen its use in clinical practice, further translation of preclinical to clinical data is needed.

PET Radiomics and Response to Immunotherapy in Lung Cancer: A Systematic Review of the Literature.

The aim of this review is to provide a comprehensive overview of the existing literature concerning the applications of positron emission tomography (PET) radiomics in lung cancer patient candidates or those undergoing immunotherapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A systematic review was conducted on databases and web sources. English-language original articles were considered. The title and abstract were independently reviewed to evaluate study inclusion. Duplicate, out-of-topic, and review papers, or editorials, articles, and letters to editors were excluded. For each study, the radiomics analysis was assessed based on the radiomics quality score (RQS 2.0). The review was registered on the PROSPERO database with the number CRD42023402302. RESULTS: Fifteen papers were included, thirteen were qualified as using conventional radiomics approaches, and two used deep learning radiomics. The content of each study was different; indeed, seven papers investigated the potential ability of radiomics to predict PD-L1 expression and tumor microenvironment before starting immunotherapy. Moreover, two evaluated the prediction of response, and four investigated the utility of radiomics to predict the response to immunotherapy. Finally, two papers investigated the prediction of adverse events due to immunotherapy. CONCLUSIONS: Radiomics is promising for the evaluation of TME and for the prediction of response to immunotherapy, but some limitations should be overcome.

Head-to-Head Comparison between FDG and 11C-Methionine in Multiple Myeloma: A Systematic Review.

The aim of this systematic review is to provide a comprehensive overview of the existing literature, comparing 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) and 11C-methionine (MET) for the imaging of multiple myeloma (MM) with positron emission computed tomography (PET/CT). Relevant studies published from 2013 up to March 2023 were selected by searching Scopus, PubMed, and Web of Science. Selected imaging studies were analyzed using a modified version of the critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP). Ten studies encompassing 335 patients were selected. On a patient-based analysis, MET sensitivity ranged between 75.6% and 100%, resulting higher than that measured for FDG (0-100%). MET outperformed FDG for the detection of focal lesions, diffuse bone marrow involvement and mixed patterns. PET-derived parameters resulted higher for MET than for FDG, with a strong correlation with clinical variables (e.g., monoclonal component and beta-2-microglobulin levels, bone marrow infiltration, etc.), although FDG maintained a prognostic impact on outcome prediction. When compared to other tracers or imaging modalities, MET showed stronger correlation and inter-observer agreement than FDG. Although biased by the small cohorts and requiring confirmation through multicenter studies, preliminary findings suggest that MET-PET should be preferred to FDG for PET imaging of MM, or alternatively used as a complementary imaging modality. Some issues, such as tracer availability and the role of MET with respect to other emerging tracers (i.e., 68Ga-pentixafor, 18F-FACBC and 18F-FET), should be the topic of further investigations.

Medication and ECG Patterns That May Hinder SPECT Myocardial Perfusion Scans.

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the leading cause of death followed by cancer, in men and women. With risk factors being endemic and the increasing costs of healthcare for management and treatment, myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) finds a central role in risk stratification and prognosis for CAD patients, but it comes with its limitations in that the referring clinician and managing team must be aware of and use at their advantage. This narrative review examines the utility of myocardial perfusion scans in the diagnosis and management of patients with ECG alterations such as atrioventricular block (AVB), and medications including calcium channel blockers (CCB), beta blockers (BB), and nitroglycerin which may impact the interpretation of the exam. The review analyzes the current evidence and provides insights into the limitations, delving into the reasons behind some of the contraindications to MPI.

A Systematic Review on Dementia and Translocator Protein (TSPO): When Nuclear Medicine Highlights an Underlying Expression.

BACKGROUND: Translocator protein (TSPO) is a neuroinflammation hallmark. Different TSPO affinity compounds have been produced and over time, the techniques of radiolabeling have been refined. The aim of this systematic review is to summarize the development of new radiotracers for dementia and neuroinflammation imaging. METHODS: An online search of the literature was conducted in the PubMed, Scopus, Medline, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science databases, selecting published studies from January 2004 to December 2022. The accepted studies considered the synthesis of TSPO tracers for nuclear medicine imaging in dementia and neuroinflammation. RESULTS: A total of 50 articles was identified. Twelve papers were selected from the included studies' bibliographies and 34 were excluded. Thus, 28 articles were ultimately selected for quality assessment. CONCLUSION: Huge efforts in developing specific and stable tracers for PET/SPECT imaging have been made. The long half-life of 18F makes this isotope a preferable choice to 11C. An emerging limitation to this however is that neuroinflammation involves all of the brain which inhibits the possibility of detecting a slight inflammation status change in patients. A partial solution to this is using the cerebellum as a reference region and developing higher TSPO affinity tracers. Moreover, it is necessary to consider the presence of distomers and racemic compounds interfering with pharmacological tracers' effects and increasing the noise ratio in images.

The DASciS Software for BSI Calculation as a Valuable Prognostic Tool in mCRPC Treated with 223RaCl2: A Multicenter Italian Study.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Radium-223 dichloride (223RaCl2) represents a therapeutic option for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) patients dealing with symptomatic bone metastases. The identification of baseline variables potentially affecting the life-prolonging role of 223RaCl2 is still ongoing. Bone scan index (BSI) defines the total load of bone metastatic disease detected on a bone scan (BS) and is expressed as a percentage value of the whole bone mass. The aim of this multicenter study was to assess the impact of baseline BSI on overall survival (OS) in mCRPC patients treated with 223RaCl2. For this purpose, the DASciS software developed by the Sapienza University of Rome for BSI calculation was shared between six Italian Nuclear Medicine Units. METHODS: 370 pre-treatment BS were analyzed through the DASciS software. Other clinical variables relevant to OS analysis were taken into account for the statistical analysis. RESULTS: Of a total of 370 patients, 326 subjects had died at the time of our retrospective analysis. The median OS time from the first cycle of 223RaCl2 to the date of death from any cause or last contact was 13 months (95%CI 12-14 months). The mean BSI value resulted in 2.98% ± 2.42. The center-adjusted univariate analysis showed that baseline BSI was significantly associated with OS as an independent risk factor (HR 1.137, 95%CI: 1.052-1.230, p = 0.001), meaning that patients with higher BSI values had worse OS. When adjusting for other measures on multivariate analysis, in addition to Gleason score and baseline values of Hb, tALP, and PSA, baseline BSI was confirmed to be a statistically significant parameter (HR 1.054, 95%CI: 1.040-1.068, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Baseline BSI significantly predicts OS in mCRPC treated with 223RaCl2. The DASciS software was revealed to be a valuable tool for BSI calculation, showing rapid processing time and requiring no more than a single demonstrative training for each participating center.

Abscopal Effect on Bone Metastases from Solid Tumors: A Systematic Review and Retrospective Analysis of Challenge within a Challenge.

BACKGROUND: Abscopal effect (AE) describes the ability of radiotherapy (RT) to induce immune-mediated responses in nonirradiated distant metastasis. Bone represents the third most frequent site of metastasis and an immunologically favorable environment for the proliferation of cancer cells. We revised the literature, searching documented cases of AE involving bone metastases (BMs) and evaluated the incidence of AE involving BMs in patients requiring palliative RT on BMs or non-BMs treated at our department. METHODS: Articles published in the PubMed/MEDLINE database were selected using the following search criteria: ((abscopal effect)) AND ((metastases)). Patients with BMs, who underwent performed bone scintigraphy before and at least 2-3 months after RT, were selected and screened between January 2015 and July 2022. AE was defined as an objective response according to the scan bone index for at least one nonirradiated metastasis at a distance > 10 cm from the irradiated lesion. The primary endpoint was the rate of AE on BMs. RESULTS: Ten cases experiencing AE of BMs were identified from the literature and eight among our patients. CONCLUSIONS: The analysis performed here suggests the use of hypofractionated radiotherapy as the only triggering factor for AE of BMs through the activation of the immune response.

Radiolabeled FAPI in pancreatic cancer: can it be an additional value in the management of patients?

INTRODUCTION: To discuss the current evidence about radiolabeled-FAPI in patients affected by pancreatic cancer by underlying the advantages, disadvantages, and the future perspectives also in the theragnostic field. AREAS COVERED: A literature search up until February 2023 was performed in PubMed, EBSCO, and EMBASE databases. Clinical reports, conference abstracts, editorials, and letters-to-the-editor were excluded. The results were presented according to the PRISMA guidelines. The quality of studies was evaluated by using the Critical Appraisal Skill Program checklist. EXPERT OPINION: From the initial 139 studies, 21 papers were selected for the final analysis. Ten papers were related to FAPI-uptake in health/benign/malignant pancreas, eight studies were focalized on the utility of radiolabeled-FAPI for the identification of premalignant and malignant pancreatic lesions and only three papers were related to the the theragnostic approach. Only two papers enrolled exclusively patients with pancreatic cancer undergoing FAPI-PET. In total, 55 patients underwent FAPI-PET for the identification of the suspicious mass/primary tumor (n = 43) and recurrent disease (n = 12). In both the studies, FAPI-PET detected more lesions than 2-[18F]FDG. Preliminary data about the FAPI-based theragnostic approach in patients with pancreatic cancer (n = 9 patients, totally) are now available. Radiolabeled-FAPI is a promising agent for the identification of pancreatic malignant lesions, but further prospective studies are still necessary.

Evaluation of Bone Scan Index as a Prognostic Tool in Breast Cancer Patients with Bone Metastasis.

BACKGROUND: Bone metastatic involvement represents a leading cause of death in patients with advanced breast cancer (BC). At present, it is not clear whether the bone metastatic load might impact Overall Survival (OS) in patients with bone metastatic BC at diagnosis. For this purpose, we used the Bone Scan Index (BSI), which is a reproducible and quantitative expression of tumor load observed at bone scintigraphy. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to associate BSI with OS in bone metastatic BC patients. METHODS: In this retrospective study, we enrolled BC patients with bone metastases at the scintigraphic bone scan performed for staging purposes. The BSI was calculated through the DASciS software, and statistical analysis was carried out. Other clinical variables relevant to OS analysis were taken into account. RESULTS: Of a total of 94 patients, 32% died. In most cases, the histotype was ductal infiltrating carcinoma. The median OS from diagnosis was 72 months (CI 95%: 62-NA). The univariate analysis with COX regression showed that only hormone therapy significantly correlates with OS (HR 0.417, CI 95%: 0.174-0.997, p < 0.049). As concerning BSI, the statistical analysis showed that it does not predict OS in BC patients (HR 0.960, 95% CI: 0.416-2.216, p < 0.924). CONCLUSION: Although the BSI significantly predicts OS in prostate cancer and in other tumors, we observed that the metastatic load of bone disease has not a key role in prognostic stratification in our population.