A Critical Review of PET Tracers Used for Brain Tumor Imaging

Austin J Borja; Emily C Hancin; William Y Raynor; Cyrus Ayubcha; Donald K Detchou; Thomas J Werner; Mona-Elisabeth Revheim; Abass Alavi

doi:10.1016/j.cpet.2020.12.004

A Critical Review of PET Tracers Used for Brain Tumor Imaging

PET Clin. 2021 Apr;16(2):219-231. doi: 10.1016/j.cpet.2020.12.004. Epub 2021 Feb 13.

Authors

Austin J Borja¹, Emily C Hancin², William Y Raynor³, Cyrus Ayubcha⁴, Donald K Detchou¹, Thomas J Werner⁵, Mona-Elisabeth Revheim⁶, Abass Alavi⁷

Affiliations

¹ Department of Radiology, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, 3400 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, 3400 Civic Center Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
² Department of Radiology, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, 3400 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, 3500 North Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19140, USA.
³ Department of Radiology, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, 3400 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Drexel University College of Medicine, 2900 West Queen Lane, Philadelphia, PA 19129, USA.
⁴ Department of Radiology, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, 3400 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Harvard Medical School, 25 Shattuck Street, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
⁵ Department of Radiology, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, 3400 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
⁶ Department of Radiology, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, 3400 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Division of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Oslo University Hospital, Sognsvannsveien 20, Oslo 0372, Norway; Institute of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Problemveien 7, Oslo 0315, Norway.
⁷ Department of Radiology, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, 3400 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA. Electronic address: abass.alavi@pennmedicine.upenn.edu.

PMID: 33589386
DOI: 10.1016/j.cpet.2020.12.004

Abstract

The brain is a common site for metastases as well as primary tumors. Although evaluation of these malignancies with contrast-enhanced MR imaging defines current clinical practice, ¹⁸F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)-PET has shown considerable utility in this area. In addition, many other tracers targeting various aspects of tumor biology have been developed and tested. This article discusses recent developments in PET imaging and the anticipated role of FDG and other tracers in the assessment of brain tumors.

Keywords: (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose; Brain neoplasms; Neuroimaging; PET.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Brain / diagnostic imaging
Brain Neoplasms* / diagnostic imaging
Humans
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Positron-Emission Tomography
Radiopharmaceuticals*

Substances

Radiopharmaceuticals