Table 2.
Selected PET radiotracers that image tumour metabolism that are either approved or available for clinical research
| Tracer | Description | Metabolic pathway | Clinical indications |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18F-Fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) | Radiolabelled glucose analogue | Glucose metabolism | Widespread application for cancer staging and on treatment monitoring |
| 18F-Fluorodeoxygalactose (18F-FDGal) | Radiolabelled galactose analogue | Galactose metabolism | Research purposes only |
| 11C-Choline | Radiolabelled choline | Phospholipid metabolism | Detection of prostate cancer recurrence |
| 18F-Choline | Radiolabelled choline | Phospholipid metabolism | Staging of brain and bladder tumours |
| 11C-Acetate | Radiolabelled acetate | Lipid metabolism | Detection of prostate cancer recurrence |
| 3-18F-Fluoro-2,2-dimethylpropionic acid (18F-FPIA) | Radiolabelled carboxylic acid | Fatty acid oxidation | Research purposes only |
| 18F-Fluorothymidine (18F-FLT) | Radiolabelled thymidine | Nucleotide metabolism | Lymphoma staging |
| 18F-Fluoromisonidazole (18F-FMISO) | Radiolabelled nitroimidazole analogue | Hypoxia | Research purposes only |
| 18F-Luoroazomycin arabinoside (18F-FAZA) | Radiolabelled nitroimidazole analogue | Hypoxia | Research purposes only |
| 64Cu-Diacetyl-bis(N4-methylthiosemicarbazone) (64Cu-ATSM) | Diacetyl-bis(N4-methylthiosemicarbazone) radiolabelled with copper | Hypoxia | Research purposes only |
| 18F-Fluciclovine (18F-FACBC) | Radiolabelled synthetic analogue of L-leucine | Amino acid metabolism | Detection of prostate cancer recurrence |
| 11C-Methionine (11C-MET) | Radiolabelled methionine | Amino acid metabolism | Brain tumour diagnosis |
| 11C-Glutamine | Radiolabelled glutamine | Amino acid metabolism | Research purposes only |
| (18F-Fluoropropyl)-L-glutamic acid (18F-FSPG) | Radiolabelled glutamate analogue | Amino acid metabolism | Research purposes only |
| 18F-Fluoroethyltyrosine (18F-FET) | Radiolabelled L-tyrosine | Amino acid metabolism | Research purposes only |
| 18F-Dihydroxyphenylalanine (18F-DOPA) | Radiolabelled phenylalanine | Dopamine metabolism | Neuroendocrine tumour staging |