PET/CT superior to MRI for detecting spinal bone metastases

Gallium-68 (Ga-68) DOTATATE PET/CT appears to be the best approach for detecting spinal bone metastases in patients with certain neuroendocrine tumors, according to researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, MD. In a study of patients with pheochromocytomas and paragangliomas (PPGLs), the group found the approach was superior to F-18 FDG-PET/CT, MRI of the spine, whole-body CT, and whole-body MRI. The finding is significant regarding efforts to prevent serious complications in these patients, noted lead author Abhishek Jha, MD, and colleagues. “Bone metastases weaken and destroy skeletal tissue and predispose cancer patients to acute and chronic skeletal-related events (SREs),” the group wrote. The study was published April 16 in European Radiology. Bone metastases are frequently seen in patients with solid tumors and are observed in up to 71% of metastatic PPGL patients, the authors explained. SREs such as bone pain, spinal cord compression, and fractures not only affect morbidity and mortality rates in these individuals but also increase medical costs, they wrote. However, data from head-to-head comparisons among imaging techniques to detect bone metastases in these patients are limited, the researchers noted. To that end, the group enrolled 43 participants (mean age, 41.7) with diagnosed or suspected spinal bone metastases who had previously undergone MRI spine exams. All patients also subsequently underwent Ga-68 DOTATATE PET/CT (n = ...
Source: AuntMinnie.com Headlines - Category: Radiology Authors: Tags: Molecular Imaging Radiation Oncology Source Type: news