Things are because we see them (O. Wilde): new radiopharmaceuticals for nuclear medicine imaging

Excerpt

Imaging plays a paramount role in cancer management. The role of imaging modalities starts from diagnosis and continues in staging, treatment planning, prognosis assessment, treatment response assessment, and follow-up. In this landscape, nuclear medicine imaging has empowered cancer diagnosis and treatment [ 1]. The beneficial effect of imaging on overall survival is not yet quantified due to the several factors involved in cancer biology and cancer treatment. Nonetheless, molecular imaging is considered and has a game changing modality for staging and treatment response assessment, contributing to a more effective use of financial resources. A recent example is represented by the introduction of PSMA PET/CT for prostate cancer (PCa). It has improved decision making, avoiding unnecessary treatment in low-risk patients—who will benefit in active surveillance or local therapy—and undertreatment in locally advanced PCa [ 2]. More recently, FAPI has been recognized as feasible molecular target for novel in vivo imaging and therapeutic strategies, opening a new chapter in molecular imaging [ 3]. …