Appropriate use criteria for dementia amyloid imaging in Switzerland - mini-review and statement on behalf of the Swiss Society of Nuclear Medicine and the Swiss Memory Clinics.

While FDG-PET imaging of the brain for the differential diagnosis of dementia has been covered by the compulsory health insurance in Switzerland for more than a decade, beta-amyloid-PET just recently has been added to the catalogue of procedures that have been cleared for routine use, provided that a set of appropriate use criteria (AUC) be followed. To provide guidance to dementia care practitioners, the Swiss Society of Nuclear Medicine and the Swiss Memory Clinics jointly report a mini-review on beta-amyloid-PET and discuss the AUC set into effect by the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health, as well as their application and limitations.

Image analysis in posttreatment non-small cell lung cancer surveillance: specialists' interpretations reviewed by the thoracic multidisciplinary tumor board.

Background: Data show that the initial specialist's image interpretation and final multidisciplinary tumor board (MTB) assessment can vary substantially in the pretherapeutic cancer setting. The aim of this analysis was to investigate the concordance of the specialist's and MTB's image interpretations in patients undergoing systematic posttreatment lung cancer image surveillance.

Methods: In the initial prospective study, lung cancer patients who had received curative-intent treatment were randomly assigned to undergo either contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CE-CT) or integrated 18-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT).

Comparing Two Imaging Methods for Follow-Up of Lung Cancer Treatment: A Randomized Pilot Study.

Background: Scientific data on the image modality to be used in postcurative treatment surveillance of non-small cell lung cancer patients are scarce. This prospective randomized pilot trial compared the performance of integrated F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) and contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CE-CT).

Methods: After termination of curative-intent treatment, patients were randomly assigned to the PET-CT or the CE-CT group.

Do you want to participate in a clinical study as a healthy control? - Risk or benefit?

A healthy woman volunteered to participate as "healthy control" in a study. An increased level of procalcitonin (PCT) was detected and remained elevated on follow-up measurements. As calcitonin levels were elevated as well, thyroid ultrasound was performed which revealed nodes in both thyroid lobes, one of them showing metabolic activity in positron emission tomography-computed tomography scan.

Focal changes in diffusivity on apparent diffusion coefficient MR imaging and amino acid uptake on PET do not colocalize in nonenhancing low-grade gliomas.

Unlabelled: Low-grade gliomas (LGGs) may harbor malignant foci, which are characterized by increased tumor cellularity and angiogenesis. We used diffusion-weighted MR imaging (apparent diffusion coefficient [ADC]) and PET with the amino acid O-(2-(18)F-fluorethyl)-L-tyrosine ((18)F-FET) to search for focal changes of diffusion (ADC) and amino acid uptake and to investigate whether focal changes in these parameters colocalize within LGGs.

Methods: We retrospectively selected 18 patients with nonenhancing LGG.

F-18 choline PET does not detect increased metabolism in F-18 fluoroethyltyrosine-negative low-grade gliomas.

Purpose: Positron emission tomography (PET) with radiolabeled amino acids provides information on biopsy target and chemotherapy response in patients with low-grade gliomas (LGG). In this article, we addressed whether PET with F-18 choline (CHO) detects increased metabolism in F-18 fluoroethyltyrosine (FET)-negative LGG patients.

Methods: Six LGG patients with nongadolinium-enhancing (magnetic resonance) FET-negative LGG were imaged with CHO PET.

Early metabolic responses in temozolomide treated low-grade glioma patients.

Amino acid transport and protein synthesis are important steps of tumor growth. We investigated the time course of tumor metabolism in low-grade gliomas (LGG) during temozolomide chemotherapy, and compared metabolic responses as measured with positron emission tomography (PET) with volume responses as revealed by magnetic resonance imaging (MR). A homogeneous population of 11 patients with progressive non-enhancing LGG was prospectively studied.

Measurement of tumor hypoxia in spontaneous canine sarcomas.

We used positron emission tomography (PET) with [18F]fluoromisonidazole ([18F]FMISO) to study tumor hypoxia in six dogs with spontaneous sarcomas. The tumors were regarded as hypoxic if [18F]FMISO uptake exceeded normal tissue radioactivity by 40% (tumor/muscle ratio > 1.4) or if kinetic analysis indicated a positive [18F]FMISO tissue influx rate (Ki > 0) by a Patlak plot.

Assessment of hypoxia and perfusion in human brain tumors using PET with 18F-fluoromisonidazole and 15O-H2O.

Unlabelled: Hypoxia predicts poor treatment response of malignant tumors. We used PET with (18)F-fluoromisonidazole ((18)F-FMISO) and (15)O-H(2)O to measure in vivo hypoxia and perfusion in patients with brain tumors.

Methods: Eleven patients with various brain tumors were investigated.

Measurement of the extracellular space in brain tumors using 76Br-bromide and PET.

Unlabelled: Brain edema significantly contributes to the clinical course of human brain tumor patients. There is evidence that an enlargement of the extracellular space (ECS) is involved in the development of brain edema. Although T2-weighted magnetic resonance (T2-MR) images represent brain edema by its increased water content, they do not differentiate ECS enlargement from increased intracellular water content.

Stabilization of neurotensin analogues: effect on peptide catabolism, biodistribution and tumor binding.

Neurotensin (NT) receptors in pancreatic and other neuroendocrine tumors are promising targets for imaging and therapeutic purposes. Here, we report on the effect of distinct changes in the peptide chain on catabolism in vitro for five radiolabeled [99mTc] neurotensin analogues having high affinity for neurotensin receptors. Substitution of NT(1-7) by (NalphaHis)Ac--the Tc-binding moiety--combined with a reduced bond 8-9 (CH2NH), N-methylation of peptide bonds or replacement of Ile(12) by tertiary leucin (Tle) led to peptide stabilization of various degrees.

Preclinical evaluation of a new, stabilized neurotensin(8--13) pseudopeptide radiolabeled with (99m)tc.

Unlabelled: The rapid degradation of neurotensin (NT) limits its clinical use in cancer imaging and therapy. Thus, a new NT(8--13) pseudopeptide, NT-VIII, was synthesized. Some changes were introduced in the sequence of NT(8--13) to stabilize the molecule against enzymatic degradation: Arg(8) was N-methylated, and Lys and Tle replaced Arg(9) and Ile(12), respectively.