Table 2.
Examples of PET tracers
| Tracer | Description of process targeted | Indications | Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18F-2-deoxyglucose (FDG) | Glucose transporter—accumulation indicates increased metabolic activity in the cells | Broad spectrum of indications, including numerous malignancies, infection/inflammation, metabolic brain imaging | Nonspecific glucose metabolism indicator |
| 18F-Fluorodeoxy-L-thymidine (FLT) | Proliferation marker | Multiple malignancies | Does not accumulate in inflammation; improved accuracy and specificity compared with FDG |
| L-methyl-C11-methionine | Protein metabolism | Multiple malignancies | Does not accumulate in inflammation; may be more specific and sensitive compared with FDG |
| 68Ga-tetraazacyclododecantetraacetic acid (DOTA) peptides (DOTATOC, DOTANOC, DOTATATE) | Somatostatin analogs |
Neuroendocrine tumors (NET) Evaluation of fibrosis |
Independent on cellular metabolism. Can be used in conjunction with Lu-177 therapy |
| 18F-dihydroxyphenylalanine (FDOPA) | Amino acid analog | Neuroendocrine tumors, especially medullary thyroid cancer, pheochromocytoma, and paraganglioma | Specific, good tumor to background ratio |
|
18F-fluoromisonidazole (FMISO) 64Cu methylthiosemicarbazone (ATSM) |
Tumor hypoxia |
Lung cancer Head and neck cancer. |
Potential role in radiotherapy planning |
| 11C-Erlotinib | Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitor | Non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) Pancreatic cancer | C-11 is cyclotron produced with short half-life which limits its clinical utility |
| 18F-Fluoro-17-β-estradiol (FES) | Estrogen receptor | Breast cancer | |
|
11C-Choline 18F-Choline |
Choline transporter—phospholipid synthesis Integrates into the cell walls of proliferating cells |
Prostate cancer Evaluated for differentiating lung cancer from tuberculosis Parathyroid localization |
Marker of rapidly proliferating cells, nonspecific for many tumors |
| 18F-Fluciclovine (Axumin) | Amino acid transporters | Metastatic prostate cancer | Improved visualization of the pelvis and abdomen |
| 64Cu-NOTA-ramucirumab antibody (-RamAb) | Antibody binding to vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 (VEGFR-2) | Detection and therapy monitoring of VEGFR-2-positive malignancies | Preclinical |
p-SCN-Bn-NOTA 2-S-(4-isothiocyanatobenzyl)-1,4,7-triazacyclononane-1,4,7-triacetic acid