Dr. Hope on Benefits of Gallium 68-Dotatate PET Scan

Thomas Hope, MD, assistant professor, UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, discusses the Gallium 68-Dotatate PET scan in the imaging of neuroendocrine tumors (NETs).

Imaging for NETs is difficult as they are slow growing, requiring very sensitive imaging studies. Commonly, the octreoscan has been used in practice to track these tumors, which targets somatostatin receptors.

Recently, the Gallium-68 dotatate scan that is labeled with Gallium-68, a radionuclide, has demonstrated much higher sensitivity for both detection and characterization of NETs.

While the cost is high, the benefits outweigh this, says Hope. Octreoscan takes a minimum 1 2 days to complete, while a Gallium-68 dotatate scan takes about 1 hour to conduct after injection. Also, the improved imaging allows physicians to more accurately track patients over time.