Performance of [18F]fluorocholine PET/CT in MEN1-related primary hyperparathyroidism before initial surgery or for persistent/recurrent disease.

PURPOSE: The aims of the study were to evaluate the performance and robustness of [18F]fluorocholine PET/CT in detecting hyperfunctioning parathyroid glands in MEN1-related primary hyperparathyroidism (pHPT) at different stages of their disease. METHODS: Retrospective French multicenter study including patients with MEN1 pHPT who underwent [18F]fluorocholine PET/CT at initial diagnosis or for evaluation of persistent/recurrent disease. PET/CT were independently reviewed by two readers in a blinded manner. The assessment of PET/CT on a per-patient basis was assessed using a comprehensive set of criteria that considered pathological findings or agreement with alternative diagnostic methods in non-operated patients. The secondary objectives included the analysis of the performance of PET/CT at a per-lesion level, with reference to a pathological Gold Standard, and examining its interobserver reproducibility. RESULTS: A total of 71 MEN1 patients were included (73 PET/CT) in the study. At the per-patient level (entire cohort), [18F]fluorocholine PET/CT sensitivity ranged from 98.5 to 100% among the different readers. An average of 1.77 glands per PET was described, with 2.35 glands at the initial diagnosis (n = 23) and 1.5 in previously operated cases (n = 50). PET/CT detected more lesions than conventional imaging work-up (neck ultrasound and/or scintigraphy). At the per-lesion level (41 operated patients), sensitivity ranged across different readers from 84.4 to 87%, and specificity ranged from 94.7 to 98.8%. At initial diagnosis, all patients that exhibited 3 or more abnormal glands on PET underwent subtotal parathyroidectomy while 7 out of 13 patients with 1 or 2 gland abnormalities on PET underwent less than subtotal parathyroidectomy. Finally, the degree of inter-observer agreement was high. CONCLUSION: [18F]fluorocholine PET/CT is a reliable and robust imaging modality for the evaluation of MEN1-related pHPT and could guide surgeons in achieving the optimal benefit-risk ratio. This study gives a great impetus for its adoption as a primary diagnostic tool in this context.

Dosimetry and pharmacokinetics of [177Lu]Lu-satoreotide tetraxetan in patients with progressive neuroendocrine tumours.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the dosimetry and pharmacokinetics of the novel radiolabelled somatostatin receptor antagonist [177Lu]Lu-satoreotide tetraxetan in patients with advanced neuroendocrine tumours (NETs). METHODS: This study was part of a phase I/II trial of [177Lu]Lu-satoreotide tetraxetan, administered at a median cumulative activity of 13.0 GBq over three planned cycles (median activity/cycle: 4.5 GBq), in 40 patients with progressive NETs. Organ absorbed doses were monitored at each cycle using patient-specific dosimetry; the cumulative absorbed-dose limits were set at 23.0 Gy for the kidneys and 1.5 Gy for bone marrow. Absorbed dose coefficients (ADCs) were calculated using both patient-specific and model-based dosimetry for some patients. RESULTS: In all evaluated organs, maximum [177Lu]Lu-satoreotide tetraxetan uptake was observed at the first imaging timepoint (4 h after injection), followed by an exponential decrease. Kidneys were the main route of elimination, with a cumulative excretion of 57-66% within 48 h following the first treatment cycle. At the first treatment cycle, [177Lu]Lu-satoreotide tetraxetan showed a median terminal blood half-life of 127 h and median ADCs of [177Lu]Lu-satoreotide tetraxetan were 5.0 Gy/GBq in tumours, 0.1 Gy/GBq in the bone marrow, 0.9 Gy/GBq in kidneys, 0.2 Gy/GBq in the liver and 0.8 Gy/GBq in the spleen. Using image-based dosimetry, the bone marrow and kidneys received median cumulative absorbed doses of 1.1 and 10.8 Gy, respectively, after three cycles. CONCLUSION: [177Lu]Lu-satoreotide tetraxetan showed a favourable dosimetry profile, with high and prolonged tumour uptake, supporting its acceptable safety profile and promising efficacy. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT02592707. Registered October 30, 2015.

A phase I/II study of the safety and efficacy of [177Lu]Lu-satoreotide tetraxetan in advanced somatostatin receptor-positive neuroendocrine tumours.

PURPOSE: We present the results of an open-label, phase I/II study evaluating the safety and efficacy of the novel somatostatin receptor (SSTR) antagonist [177Lu]Lu-satoreotide tetraxetan in 40 patients with previously treated, progressive neuroendocrine tumours (NETs), in which dosimetry was used to guide maximum administered activity. METHODS: This study was conducted in two parts. Part A consisted of 15 patients who completed three cycles of [177Lu]Lu-satoreotide tetraxetan at a fixed administered activity and peptide amount per cycle (4.5 GBq/300 µg). Part B, which included 25 patients who received one to five cycles of [177Lu]Lu-satoreotide tetraxetan, evaluated different administered activities (4.5 or 6.0 GBq/cycle) and peptide amounts (300, 700, or 1300 µg/cycle), limited to a cumulative absorbed radiation dose of 23 Gy to the kidneys and 1.5 Gy to the bone marrow. RESULTS: Median cumulative administered activity of [177Lu]Lu-satoreotide tetraxetan was 13.0 GBq over three cycles (13.1 GBq in part A and 12.9 GBq in part B). Overall, 17 (42.5%) patients experienced grade ≥ 3 treatment­related adverse events; the most common were lymphopenia, thrombocytopenia, and neutropenia. No grade 3/4 nephrotoxicity was observed. Two patients developed myeloid neoplasms considered treatment related by the investigator. Disease control rate for part A and part B was 94.7% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 82.3-99.4), and overall response rate was 21.1% (95% CI: 9.6-37.3). CONCLUSION: [177Lu]Lu-satoreotide tetraxetan, administered at a median cumulative activity of 13.0 GBq over three cycles, has an acceptable safety profile with a promising clinical response in patients with progressive, SSTR-positive NETs. A 5-year long-term follow-up study is ongoing. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02592707. Registered October 30, 2015.

Utility of a Second 99mTc-MIBI Scintigraphy Before Reoperation for Patients With Persistent Sporadic Primary Hyperparathyroidism: Results of a Retrospective Multicenter Study.

BACKGROUND: Persistent primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) occurs in 2.5% to 15% of cases after parathyroidectomy. Few studies have evaluated the best pre-reoperative imaging approaches for persistent sporadic PHPT. This retrospective multicenter study aimed to evaluate the benefit of a second pre-reoperative 99mTc-methoxy-isobutyl-isonitrile (MIBI) scintigraphy for patients with persistent PHPT who had a 99mTc-MIBI before their initial surgery. METHODS: The study enrolled 50 patients with persistent sporadic PHPT who had reoperation between 2006 and 2016 in three French University Hospitals (Angers, Nantes, and La Pitié Salpêtrière-Paris). Preoperative 99mTc-MIBI scan was performed before each operation. RESULTS: After the reoperation, 42 patients (84%) were cured. By the second 99mTc-MIBI, 31 patients (62%) had a removed gland identified. A new pathologic gland was identified by a second 99mTc-MIBI in 25 patients (50%), and this imaging permitted correction of an initial surgical error in six patients (12%). A second 99mTc-MIBI showed a sensitivity of 63%, a specificity of 89%, a positive predictive value (PPV) of 78%, and a negative predictive value (NPV) of 80%. A concordant second 99mTc-MIBI and ultrasonography (17 patients) showed a sensitivity of 70%, a specificity of 81%, a PPV of 70%, and an NPV of 81%. CONCLUSIONS: Performing a second 99mTc-MIBI scan permitted 62% of the persistent PHPT patients to be cured, allowing identification of new pathologic glands in 50% of the cases and correction of an initial surgical error in 12% of the cases, with high specificity and PPV. These results reinforce the fact that a second 99mTc-MIBI scan should be performed at first intention before reoperation of patients with persistent PHPT, regardless of the result from the initial 99mTc-MIBI scan.

Impact of liver tumour burden, alkaline phosphatase elevation, and target lesion size on treatment outcomes with 177Lu-Dotatate: an analysis of the NETTER-1 study.

PURPOSE: To assess the impact of baseline liver tumour burden, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) elevation, and target lesion size on treatment outcomes with 177Lu-Dotatate. METHODS: In the phase 3 NETTER-1 trial, patients with advanced, progressive midgut neuroendocrine tumours (NET) were randomised to 177Lu-Dotatate (every 8 weeks, four cycles) plus octreotide long-acting release (LAR) or to octreotide LAR 60 mg. Primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS). Analyses of PFS by baseline factors, including liver tumour burden, ALP elevation, and target lesion size, were performed using Kaplan-Meier estimates; hazard ratios (HRs) with corresponding 95% CIs were estimated using Cox regression. RESULTS: Significantly prolonged median PFS occurred with 177Lu-Dotatate versus octreotide LAR 60 mg in patients with low (< 25%), moderate (25-50%), and high (> 50%) liver tumour burden (HR 0.187, 0.216, 0.145), and normal or elevated ALP (HR 0.153, 0.177), and in the presence or absence of a large target lesion (diameter > 30 mm; HR, 0.213, 0.063). Within the 177Lu-Dotatate arm, no significant difference in PFS was observed amongst patients with low/moderate/high liver tumour burden (P = 0.7225) or with normal/elevated baseline ALP (P = 0.3532), but absence of a large target lesion was associated with improved PFS (P = 0.0222). Grade 3 and 4 liver function abnormalities were rare and did not appear to be associated with high baseline liver tumour burden. CONCLUSIONS: 177Lu-Dotatate demonstrated significant prolongation in PFS versus high-dose octreotide LAR in patients with advanced, progressive midgut NET, regardless of baseline liver tumour burden, elevated ALP, or the presence of a large target lesion. Clinicaltrials.gov : NCT01578239, EudraCT: 2011-005049-11.

Mild sporadic primary hyperparathyroidism: high rate of multiglandular disease is associated with lower surgical cure rate.

BACKGROUND: Mild primary hyperparathyroidism (serum calcium ≤ 2.85 mmol/L) is the most representative form of pHPT nowadays. The aim of this study was to evaluate its subtypes and the multiglandular disease (MGD) rate as it may lower the sensitivity of preoperative parathyroid scintigraphy and the surgical cure rate. METHODS: We retrospectively included patients with mild pHPT who underwent parathyroid dual-tracer scintigraphy with 99mTc-MIBI SPECT/CT and surgery between January 2013 and December 2015. Cure was defined as normalization of serum calcium (or PTH in the normocalcemic form) at 6 months. MGD was defined by either two abnormal resected glands or persistent disease after resection of at least one abnormal gland. RESULTS: We included 121 patients. Median preoperative serum calcium was 2.68 mmol/L and median PTH was 83.4 pg/mL. A total of 141 glands were resected (95 adenomas, 33 hyperplasias). The subtypes were 57% classic, 32.2% normohormonal, and 10.7% normocalcemic. MGD occurred in 23.5% of patients divided as 13%, 30%, and 64% respectively (p = 0.0011). The surgical cure rate was 85.2%. The normocalcemic form had lower cure rate than the normohormonal (45% vs 84%, p = 0.018) and classic forms (45% vs 93%, p = 0.0006). MIBI scintigraphy identified at least one abnormal lesion, later confirmed by the pathologist in 90/98 patients, making the sensitivity per patient 91.8% (95% CI 84.1-96.2%). CONCLUSIONS: MGD is strongly associated with mild pHPT, especially the normocalcemic form where it accounts for 64% of cases. Bilateral neck exploration should be performed in this population to improve the cure rate, even if the scintigraphy shows a single focus.

Management of thyroid nodules incidentally discovered on MIBI scanning for primary hyperparathyroidism.

INTRODUCTION: Parathyroid sestamibi scan is routinely performed before parathyroid surgery. A large number of thyroid cancers take up 99mTc-sestamibi (MIBI). Since 2001, thyroid nodules discovered on sestamibi, nodules >2 cm, and/or with suspicious criteria were resected. The aim of this study was to evaluate the results of this policy. METHODS: All patients operated on for hyperparathyroidism, with a MIBI and cervical ultrasonography (US) with a thyroid resection for nodule, were retrospectively included. RESULTS: From 2001 to 2013, 685 patients were operated on for hyperparathyroidism. Some 137 (85 % females) had both preoperative MIBI and cervical US and a thyroid resection. The mean age was 63.2 ± 12.8 years. Sixty-three patients had a total thyroidectomy and 74 a lobectomy. Thirty-six patients had a thyroid cancer. The median size of cancers was 6.5 mm (0.3-22 mm), and 23 (16.7 %) patients had microcarcinoma. Among the 137 patients, 44 (32 %) had a MIBI+ nodule including 22 cancers. Sixty-one percent of malignant nodules were MIBI+ (22/36). The median size of MIBI+ cancers was 15 mm (9-22 mm) versus 2 mm (0.3-17 mm) for MIBI- cancers (p = 0.03). Twenty-two percent of benign nodules were MIBI+ (22/101). Finally, the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of MIBI were 61, 78, 50, and 85 %, respectively. CONCLUSION: Thyroid nodules incidentally discovered on MIBI in hyperparathyroidism patients should be resected.

Quality of life is modestly improved in older patients with mild primary hyperparathyroidism postoperatively: results of a prospective multicenter study.

BACKGROUND: The objectives of this study were to evaluate, in mild primary hyperparathyroidism (pHPT) patients, the quality of life (QoL) using the SF-36 questionnaire before and after parathyroidectomy and to detect preoperatively patients who benefit the most from surgery. Most pHPT patients present a mild pHPT defined by calcemia ≤11.4 mg/dL. For these patients, there is debate about whether they should be managed with surveillance, medical therapy, or surgery. METHODS: A prospective multicenter study investigated QoL (SF-36) in patients with mild pHPT before and after parathyroidectomy in four university hospitals. Laboratory results and SF-36 scores were obtained preoperatively and postoperatively (3, 6, and 12 months). RESULTS: One hundred sixteen patients were included. After surgery, the biochemical cure rate was 98%. Preoperatively, the mental component summary and the physical component summary (PCS) were 38.69 of 100 and 39.53 of 100, respectively. At 1 year, the MCS and the PCS were 41.29 of 100 and 42.03 of 100. The subgroup analysis showed a more significant improvement in patients < 70 years and with calcemia ≥10.4 mg/dL. Postoperative PCS was correlated with age and preoperative PCS: variation = 32.11 - 0.21 × age - 0.4 × preoperative PCS. Men did not improve their MCS postoperatively. Only women with a preoperative MCS <43.6 of 100 showed postoperative improvement. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed, in patients with mild pHPT, an improvement of QoL 1 year after parathyroidectomy. Patients <70 years and with calcemia ≥10.4 mg/dL had a more significant improvement.

¹8F-FDG PET predicts survival after pretargeted radioimmunotherapy in patients with progressive metastatic medullary thyroid carcinoma.

PURPOSE: PET is a powerful tool for assessing targeted therapy. Since (18)F-FDG shows a potential prognostic value in medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC), this study evaluated (18)F-FDG PET alone and combined with morphological and biomarker evaluations as a surrogate marker of overall survival (OS) in patients with progressive metastatic MTC treated with pretargeted anti-CEA radioimmunotherapy (pRAIT) in a phase II clinical trial. METHODS: Patients underwent PET associated with morphological imaging (CT and MRI) and biomarker evaluations, before and 3 and 6 months, and then every 6 months, after pRAIT for 36 months. A combined evaluation was performed using anatomic, metabolic and biomarker methods. The prognostic value of the PET response was compared with demographic parameters at inclusion including age, sex, RET mutation, time from initial diagnosis, calcitonin and CEA concentrations and doubling times (DT), SUVmax, location of disease and bone marrow involvement, and with response using RECIST, biomarker concentration variation, impact on DT, and combined methods. RESULTS: Enrolled in the study were 25 men and 17 women with disease progression. The median OS from pRAIT was 3.7 years (0.2 to 6.5 years) and from MTC diagnosis 10.9 years (1.7 to 31.5 years). After pRAIT, PET/CT showed 1 patient with a complete response, 4 with a partial response and 24 with disease stabilization. The combined evaluation showed 20 responses. For OS from pRAIT, univariate analysis showed the prognostic value of biomarker DT (P = 0.011) and SUVmax (P = 0.038) calculated before pRAIT and impact on DT (P = 0.034), RECIST (P = 0.009), PET (P = 0.009), and combined response (P = 0.004) measured after pRAIT. PET had the highest predictive value with the lowest Akaike information criterion (AIC 74.26) as compared to RECIST (AIC 78.06), biomarker variation (AIC 81.94) and impact on DT (AIC 79.22). No benefit was obtained by combining the methods (AIC 78.75). This result was confirmed by the analysis of OS from MTC diagnosis. CONCLUSION: (18)F-FDG PET appeared as the most potent and simplest prognostic method to predict survival in patients with progressive MTC treated with pRAIT. Biomarker DT before pRAIT also appeared as an independent prognostic factor, but no benefit was found by adding morphological and biomarker evaluation to PET assessment.

18 F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography-computed tomography for preoperative lymph node staging in patients undergoing radical cystectomy for bladder cancer: a prospective study.

OBJECTIVES: The objective of our study was to analyze the diagnostic performance of (18) F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography-computed tomography for lymph node staging in patients with bladder cancer before radical cystectomy and to compare it with that of computed tomography. METHODS: A total of 52 patients operated on between 2005 and 2010 were prospectively included in this prospective, mono-institutional, open, non-randomized pilot study. Patients who had received neoadjuvant chemotherapy or radiotherapy were excluded. (18) F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography-computed tomography in addition to computed tomography was carried out for lymph node staging of bladder cancer before radical cystectomy. Lymph node dissection during radical cystectomy was carried out. Findings from (18) F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography-computed tomography and computed tomography were compared with the results of definitive histological examination of the lymph node dissection. The diagnostic performance of the two imaging modalities was assessed and compared. RESULTS: The mean number of lymph nodes removed during lymph node dissection was 16.5 ± 10.9. Lymph node metastasis was confirmed on histological examination in 22 cases (42.3%). This had been suspected in five cases (9.6%) on computed tomography and in 12 cases (23.1%) on (18) F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography-computed tomography. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, relative risk and accuracy were 9.1%, 90%, 40%, 57.4%, 0.91 and 55.7%, respectively, for computed tomography, and 36.4%, 86.7%, 66.7%, 65%, 2.72, 65.4%, respectively, for (18) F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography-computed tomography. CONCLUSIONS: (18) F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography-computed tomography is more reliable than computed tomography for preoperative lymph node staging in patients with invasive bladder carcinoma undergoing radical cystectomy.

Prospective Multicentric Assessment of 68Ga-DOTANOC PET/CT in Grade 1-2 GEP-NET.

The aim of this multicentric study was to prospectively compare 68Ga-DOTANOC PET/CT versus somatostatin receptor scintigraphy (SRS) with SPECT/CT, combined with multiphasic CT scan and MRI in patients with grade 1 or 2 gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (GEP-NET). Patients with histologically proven grade 1 or 2 GEP-NET with suspicion of recurrence or progression, or with typical aspects of GEP-NET on morphological imaging, were explored with conventional imaging (CI): SRS with SPECT/CT, multiphasic CT scan and/or liver MRI followed by 68Ga-DOTANOC PET/CT. The gold standard was based on histology and imaging follow-up. The data of 105 patients (45 woman and 60 men; median age) were analyzed. 68Ga-DOTANOC PET/CT sensitivity was significantly higher than CI sensitivity in per-patient (98.9% vs. 88.6%, p = 0.016) and per-region (97.6% vs. 75.6%, p < 0.001) analyses, in the detection of the primary (97.9% vs. 78.7%; p = 0.016), peritoneal carcinomatosis (95% vs. 30%, p < 0.001), and bone metastases (100% vs. 33.3%, p = 0.041). 68Ga-DOTANOC PET/CT had an impact on the therapeutic management of 41.9% (44/105) patients compared to decisions based on CI explorations. Our data confirm the superiority of 68Ga-DOTANOC PET/CT over CI in the detection of peritoneal carcinomatosis and bone metastasis, as well as its strong therapeutic impact on the management of patients with grade 1-2 GEP-NETs.

Prospective evaluation of (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography-computerized tomography to assess inguinal lymph node status in invasive squamous cell carcinoma of the penis.

PURPOSE: We prospectively evaluated (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography-computerized tomography to assess inguinal lymph node status, the main prognostic factor in invasive squamous cell carcinoma of the penis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From March 2005 to January 2010, 30 patients with invasive squamous cell carcinoma of the penis from the department of urology at our institution were prospectively included in this study. Lymph node status was assessed preoperatively by positron emission tomography-computerized tomography to detect subclinical metastasis in 22 patients with initially cN0 disease and quantify inguinal lymph node invasion in 8 with cN+. RESULTS: In the 22 cN0 cases (total of 44 inguinal lymph node basins analyzed) positron emission tomography-computerized tomography had 75% sensitivity and 87.5% specificity. Positive and negative predictive values were 37.5% and 97.2%, respectively. In the 8 cN+ cases (total of 16 inguinal lymph node basins analyzed) this type of imaging had 100% sensitivity, specificity and positive predictive value. In 3 cases staged clinically as cN1 positron emission tomography-computerized tomography revealed several metabolically active lesions on the same side, which was confirmed by histological examination, up-staging these cases to pN2. CONCLUSIONS: (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography-computerized tomography is a useful staging examination for invasive penile cancer. It confirms inguinal lymph node invasion and can detect subclinical inguinal lymph node invasion.

Pretargeted radioimmunotherapy (pRAIT) in medullary thyroid cancer (MTC).

Prognosis of medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) varies from long- to short-term survival, based on prognostic factors, such as serum calcitonin doubling time (Ct DT). Pretargeted radioimmunotherapy (pRAIT) is a novel targeted radionuclide therapy, using a bispecific monoclonal antibody (BsMAb) and a radiolabeled bivalent hapten, designed to improve the therapeutic index and to deliver increased tumor-absorbed doses to relatively radioresistant solid tumors. Pretargeting has demonstrated a more favorable therapeutic index and clinical efficacy than directly labeled anti-carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) MAb in preclinical MTC models. Moreover, two phase I/II clinical trials assessing anti-CEA × anti-DTPA-indium BsMAb (murine F6x734 and chimeric hMN14x734) with (131)I-di-DTPA-indium showed encouraging therapeutic results in progressive, metastatic, MTC patients, with an improved survival in intermediate- and high-risk (pre-pRAIT Ct DT, <2 years) patients, as compared to contemporaneous untreated patients (median overall survival, 110 months vs 61 months; P < 0.030). pRAIT efficacy has been recently confirmed in a prospective multicenter phase II study assessing hMN14x734 and (131)I-di-DTPA-indium in rapidly progressive MTC patients. New pRAIT compounds are now available with fully humanized, recombinant, trivalent BsMAb (anti-CEA TF2) and histamine-succinyl-glutamine (HSG) peptides. The HSG peptide allows easy and stable labeling with different radiometals, such as (177)Lu or (90)Y beta-emitters having favorable physical features for pRAIT or (68)Ga and (18)F positron-emitters, allowing the development of a highly sensitive and specific immuno-positron emission tomography method in MTC or other CEA-positive tumors.

Female Authors in Nuclear Medicine Journals: A Survey from 2014 to 2020.

Despite the feminization of the medical workforce, women do not have the same career perspectives as men. In nuclear medicine, little information is available on the sex gap regarding prominent author positions in scientific articles. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to evaluate recent trends in the sex distribution of first and last authorship of articles published in nuclear medicine journals. Methods: We conducted a bibliometric analysis of first and last author sex of articles published from 2014 to 2020 in 15 nuclear medicine journals. Manuscript title, article type, journal impact factor, date of publication, and first and last name and country of provenance of first and last authors were noted. The Gender API software was used to determine author sex. All statistics were descriptive. Results: Women represented 32.8% of first authors and 19.6% of last authors. Female authorship increased from 28.2% (428 of 1,518 articles) in 2014 to 35.5% (735 of 2,069 articles; relative increase, 72%) in 2020 (P < 0.001) for first authors and from 15.6% (237 of 1,518 articles) in 2014 to 20.5% (424 of 2,069 articles; relative increase, 79%) in 2020 (P < 0.001) for last authors. Parity was forecast for 2035 for first authors and 2052 for last authors. Female authorship increased in Europe for first authors (P = 0.014) and last authors (P < 0.001), in high-ranking journals for first authors (P = 0.004) and last authors (P < 0.001), and in other journal ranks for last authors (P = 0.01). Female first and last authorship rose for original articles (P = 0.02 and P = 0.01, respectively) and case reports (P < 0.001 and P = 0.002, respectively). Regarding collaborations, the proportion of articles produced by male first and last authors decreased from 62.2% in 2014 to 52.9% in 2020 in favor of female first and last authors (odds ratio, 1.07; P < 0.001), male first and female last authors (odds ratio, 1.05; P < 0.001), and female first and male last authors (odds ratio, 1.03; P < 0.001). Conclusion: Female first and last authorship in nuclear medicine journals increased substantially from 2014 to 2020, in particular in high-ranking journals, in Europe, and for original articles and case reports. Male-to-male collaborations decreased by 10% in favor of all other collaborations. Parity can be foreseen in a few decades.

123I Scintigraphy Mirror Image of Graves Disease Induced by Radioiodine Treatment for Toxic Adenoma.

ABSTRACT: A 61-year-old woman presenting with hyperthyroidism received 131I therapy for a toxic adenoma diagnosed by 123I scintigraphy. Six months later, the patient had a relapse of hyperthyroidism, and 123I scintigraphy showed a mirror image of the first scintigraphy: a high and diffuse uptake in the thyroid gland except for the previously treated nodule. Graves disease was confirmed by elevated thyrotropin receptor antibodies. The patient was cured by a second radioiodine therapy. Radioiodine-induced Graves disease may occur within 6 months of 131I treatment of toxic adenoma and can be treated with a second line of 131I.

SFE-AFCE-SFMN 2022 Consensus on the management of thyroid nodules : What is the role of functional imaging and isotopic treatment?

The SFE-AFCE-SFMN 2022 consensus deals with the management of thyroid nodules, a condition that is a frequent reason for consultation in endocrinology. In more than 90% of cases, patients are euthyroid, with benign non-progressive nodules that do not warrant specific treatment. The clinician's objective is to detect malignant thyroid nodules at risk of recurrence and death, toxic nodules responsible for hyperthyroidism or compressive nodules warranting treatment. The diagnosis and treatment of thyroid nodules requires close collaboration between endocrinologists, nuclear medicine physicians and surgeons, but also involves other specialists. Therefore, this consensus statement was established jointly by 3 societies: the French Society of Endocrinology (SFE), French Association of Endocrine Surgery (AFCE) and French Society of Nuclear Medicine (SFMN); the various working groups included experts from other specialties (pathologists, radiologists, pediatricians, biologists, etc.). This section deals with the role of thyroid scintigraphy in the diagnosis of autonomous thyroid nodules, nuclear medicine in nodules with indeterminate cytology and iodine treatment for autonomous thyroid nodules.

Value of Somatostatin Receptor PET/CT in Patients With MEN1 at Various Stages of Their Disease.

CONTEXT: Despite the growing evidence of the clinical value of somatostatin receptor (SSTR) positron emission tomography (PET) in the evaluation of neuroendocrine tumors (NETs), its role remains to be clarified at different time points in the journey of patients with multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN1). The rarity of the disease is however a significant impediment to prospective clinical trials. OBJECTIVE: The goals of the study were to assess the indications and value of SSTR PET/computed tomography (CT) in patients with MEN1. METHODS: We retrospectively included patients from 7 French expert centers for whom data on SSTR PET/CT and morphological imaging performed at the same period were available. Detection rates of PET study were analyzed. RESULTS: One hundred and 8 patients were included. SSTR PET/CT was performed at screening (n = 33), staging (n = 34), restaging (n = 37), and for peptide receptor targeted radiotherapy selection (n = 4). PET detected positive pancreatic lesions in 91% of cases at screening, with results comparable with magnetic resonance imaging but superior to CT (P = .049). Metastases (mostly lymph node [LN]) were present at the screening phase in 28% of cases, possibly due to the suboptimal value of screening morphological imaging in the assessment of nodal metastases and/or a long delay between imaging studies. SSTR PET/CT was considered superior or complementary to the reference standard in the assessment of LN or distant metastases in the vast majority of cases and regardless of the clinical scenario. CONCLUSION: This study shows the potential added value of SSTR PET in the assessment of MEN1-associated NETs and provides great impetus toward its implementation in the evaluation of patients with MEN1.

Carcinoembryonic Antigen Increase in a Patient with Colon Cancer Who Have Achieved Complete Remission and Negative 18F-FDG PET/CT: Don't Forget the Thyroid!

Serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) is a tumor marker especially used to follow a patient with colorectal cancer. However, it is non-specific and could be increased in several cancers and some benign conditions. We report the case of a 70-year-old man followed since 2014 for a left colon adenocarcinoma with the persistence of an increased CEA. There was no evidence of recurrence, but a right lobar thyroid nodule without a significantly increased uptake was incidentally discovered on the CT scan of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) PET/CT. We suspected a medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) explaining the persistent elevation of CEA. Plasma calcitonin levels were 47 ng/L (N < 10). Fine needle aspiration cytology found atypia of undetermined significance and the patient was reluctant to undergo surgery without any further exploration. We performed a 18F-fluorodihydroxyphenylalanine (18F-FDOPA) PET/CT preoperatively which revealed a punctiform focus of the right thyroid lobe corresponding to a pT1aN1aMxR0 medullary thyroid carcinoma, histopathologically confirmed. This case highlights that despite the potential usefulness of 18F-FDG PET/CT in case of an unknown source of elevated CEA this imaging may be falsely negative as in the case of MTC and should lead to further explorations.

Head-to-Head Comparison of 18F-DOPA PET/CT and 68Ga-DOTANOC PET/CT in Patients With Midgut Neuroendocrine Tumors.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to compare retrospectively 18F-DOPA PET/CT versus 68Ga-DOTANOC PET/CT in a group of patients affected by midgut NET. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients with histologically proven grade 1 or grade 2 midgut NET were explored after injection of 150 MBq of 68Ga-DOTANOC and 210 MBq of 18F-DOPA. The PET/CTs were analyzed visually and semiquantitatively at the patient level, regional level (7 defined regions), and lesion level (maximum of 5 lesions/organ). The criterion standard was determined on the basis of histology and imaging follow-up. RESULTS: Thirty patients (17 males and 13 females; median age, 63.5 years [37-82 years]) were included. Both PET/CTs were negative in 3 patients and positive in 25 patients. PET/CTs were discordant in 2 patients, with 18F-DOPA positive and 68Ga-DOTANOC negative. 18F-DOPA PET/CT detected more involved regions and more metastatic lesions than 68Ga-DOTANOC PET/CT in 6 (20%) and 10 (33.3%) patients, respectively. Of the 81 confirmed affected regions, 77 (95%) were detected by 18F-DOPA PET/CT and 71 (87.7%) by 68Ga-DOTANOC PET/CT (P < 0.0001). 18F-DOPA PET/CT detected significantly more lesions (211/221) than 68Ga-DOTANOC PET/CT (195/221), corresponding to a sensitivity of 95.5% and 88.2%, respectively (P < 0.0001). Tumor-to-background ratios were more favorable in liver for 18F-DOPA than for 68Ga-DOTANOC. Interestingly, a correlation was found between 18F-DOPA SUVmax and tumor burden and especially with the number of regions involved by the disease (P = 0.019). CONCLUSIONS: 18F-DOPA PET/CT is superior to 68Ga-DOTANOC PET/CT for the detection of lesions, and when available, this tracer may be recommended as the first-line examination for an accurate staging of midgut NET.

Anti-CEA Pretargeted Immuno-PET Shows Higher Sensitivity Than DOPA PET/CT in Detecting Relapsing Metastatic Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma: Post Hoc Analysis of the iPET-MTC Study.

Pretargeting parameters for the use of anti-carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) bispecific monoclonal antibody TF2 and the 68Ga-labeled IMP288 peptide for immuno-PET have been optimized in a first-in-humans study performed on medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) patients (the iPET-MTC study). The aim of this post hoc analysis was to determine the sensitivity of immuno-PET in relapsing MTC patients, in comparison with conventional imaging and 18F-l-dihydroxyphenylalanine (18F-DOPA) PET/CT. Methods: Twenty-five studies were analyzed in 22 patients. All patients underwent immuno-PET 1 and 2 h after 68Ga-IMP288 injection pretargeted by TF2, in addition to neck, thoracic, abdominal, and pelvic CT; bone and liver MRI; and 18F-DOPA PET/CT. The gold standard was histology or confirmation by one other imaging method or by imaging follow-up. Results: In total, 190 lesions were confirmed by the gold standard: 89 in lymph nodes, 14 in lungs, 46 in liver, 37 in bone, and 4 in other sites (subcutaneous tissue, heart, brain, and pancreas). The number of abnormal foci detected by immuno-PET was 210. Among these, 174 (83%) were confirmed as true-positive by the gold standard. Immuno-PET showed a higher overall sensitivity (92%) than 18F-DOPA PET/CT (65%). Regarding metastatic sites, immuno-PET had a higher sensitivity than CT, 18F-DOPA PET/CT, or MRI for lymph nodes (98% vs. 83% for CT and 70% for 18F-DOPA PET/CT), liver (98% vs. 87% for CT, 65% for 18F-DOPA PET/CT, and 89% for MRI), and bone (92% vs. 64% for 18F-DOPA PET/CT and 86% for MRI), whereas sensitivity was lower for lung metastases (29% vs. 100% for CT and 14% for 18F-DOPA PET/CT). Tumor SUVmax at 60 min ranged from 1.2 to 59.0, with intra- and interpatient variability. Conclusion: This post hoc study demonstrates that anti-carcinoembryonic antigen immuno-PET is an effective procedure for detecting metastatic MTC lesions. Immuno-PET showed a higher overall sensitivity than 18F-DOPA PET/CT for disclosing metastases, except for the lung, where CT remains the most effective examination.