Dear AuntMinnie Member,
When stratified by race, studies have shown that one of the many risk factors contributing to poor outcomes is social determinants of health (SDOH). However, no studies have explored the interplay between race and SDOH in men with prostate cancer in Mississippi receiving treatment with Ra-223, noted researchers at the recent RSNA meeting in Chicago.
To that end, the group performed a chart review that resulted in “paradoxical” findings. Despite facing more significant barriers to care, African Americans appear to respond more favorably than white patients to Ra-223 treatment. Click here for details.
We were on the ground in full force at the meeting, and theranostics took center stage in nuclear medicine and molecular imaging sessions. Here are a few highlights of our coverage in Chicago:
- In a video interview, Eliot Siegel, MD, of the University of Maryland, discussed key trends and developments in the fast-moving field of theranostics.
- PET/CT scans in patients treated for prostate cancer can detect early progression of the disease, despite undetectable prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels, according to a group at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN.
- A group in Kazakhstan presented evidence from a prospective study that gallium-68 fibroblast activation protein inhibitor PET/CT shows promise for detecting primary and metastatic breast cancer.
- AI chatbots such as Gemini and ChatGPT-4 have considerable potential to answer common patient questions about theranostics treatments, yet struggle with the complexity of the topic, according to a December 4 presentation.
We also noted that Massachusetts General Hospital radiologist Umar Mahmood, MD, PhD – whose primary research for the past 30 years has been in molecular imaging – has been named the new president of the board of directors of RSNA.
In other coverage aside from the RSNA meeting, we recently reported on the development of a new risk score based on SPECT imaging that can accurately predict risks for women of major adverse cardiovascular events.
Also, in the area of radiotracer development, we posted a story about a new immuno-PET tracer that shows promise in patients with liver cancer and another on a tracer in development for detecting primary tumors, involved lymph nodes, and distant metastases in patients with clear cell renal cell carcinoma.
In Alzheimer’s disease research, a study by a group in South Korea suggested that F-18 florbetaben PET scans for diagnosing the disease can be reduced from 20 minutes to five minutes without losing accuracy.
Finally, we noted a study by a group at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center in Oklahoma City that showed that F-18 fluorothymidine PET can visualize early acute gastrointestinal graft versus host disease after patients undergo bone marrow transplants.
That's all for now. For more molecular imaging news, be sure to check in regularly with our Molecular Imaging content area.
Will Morton
Associate Editor
AuntMinnie.com
