Publications by authors named "Michael M Wollring"
Purpose: Especially in Europe, amino acid PET is increasingly integrated into multidisciplinary neuro-oncological tumor boards (MNTBs) to overcome diagnostic uncertainties such as treatment-related changes. We evaluated the accuracy of MNTB decisions that included the O-(2-[18F]-fluoroethyl)-L-tyrosine (FET) PET information compared with FET PET results alone to differentiate tumor relapse from treatment-related changes.
Patients And Methods: In a single academic center, we retrospectively evaluated 180 MNTB decisions of 151 patients with CNS WHO grade 3 or 4 gliomas (n = 122) or brain metastases (n = 29) presenting equivocal MRI findings following anticancer treatment.
Article Synopsis
- PET imaging using amino acid tracers is increasingly utilized alongside MRI in managing glioma patients, with international guidelines being developed to standardize its use.
- Health insurance agencies in Europe are starting to reimburse amino acid PET, indicating its growing relevance in clinical settings, while advancements in AI and radiomics may enhance tumor detection and treatment evaluation.
- New technologies, including next-generation PET scanners and innovative PET tracers for targeted therapies, are expanding the applications of PET imaging in Neuro-Oncology, although further validation of these innovations is needed.
PET using the radiolabeled amino acid -(2-[F]fluoroethyl)-l-tyrosine (F-FET) has been shown to be of value for treatment monitoring in patients with brain metastases after multimodal therapy, especially in clinical situations with equivocal MRI findings. As medical procedures must be justified socioeconomically, we determined the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of F-FET PET for treatment monitoring of multimodal therapy, including checkpoint inhibitors, targeted therapies, radiotherapy, and combinations thereof in patients with brain metastases secondary to melanoma or non-small cell lung cancer. We analyzed already-published clinical data and calculated the associated costs from the German statutory health insurance system perspective.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPET imaging using radiolabeled amino acids in addition to MRI has become a valuable diagnostic tool in the clinical management of patients with brain tumors. This review provides a comprehensive overview of PET studies in glioma patients with a mutation in the isocitrate dehydrogenase gene (IDH). A considerable fraction of these tumors typically show no contrast enhancement on MRI, especially when classified as grade 2 according to the World Health Organization classification of Central Nervous System tumors.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: We evaluated O-(2-[18F]fluoroethyl)-l-tyrosine (FET) PET and MRI for early response assessment in recurrent glioma patients treated with lomustine-based chemotherapy.
Methods: Thirty-six adult patients with WHO CNS grade 3 or 4 gliomas (glioblastoma, 69%) at recurrence (median number of recurrences, 1; range, 1-3) were retrospectively identified. Besides MRI, serial FET PET scans were performed at baseline and early after chemotherapy initiation (not later than two cycles).