title: Clinical applications of Gallium-68.
abstract: Gallium-68 is a positron-emitting radioisotope that is produced from a (68)Ge/(68)Ga generator. As such it is conveniently used, decoupling radiopharmacies from the need for a cyclotron on site. Gallium-68-labeled peptides have been recognized as a new class of radiopharmaceuticals showing fast target localization and blood clearance. (68)Ga-DOTATOC, (8)Ga-DOTATATE, (68)Ga-DOTANOC, are the most prominent radiopharmaceuticals currently in use for imaging and differentiating lesions of various somatostatin receptor subtypes, overexpressed in many neuroendocrine tumors. There has been a tremendous increase in the number of clinical studies with (68)Ga over the past few years around the world, including within the United States. An estimated ∼10,000 scans are being performed yearly in Europe at about 100 centers utilizing (68)Ga-labeled somatostatin analogs within clinical trials. Two academic sites within the US have also begun to undertake human studies. This review will focus on the clinical experience of selected, well-established and recently applied (68)Ga-labeled imaging agents used in nuclear medicine.
authors.affiliation: Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA.
authors.forename: Sangeeta Ray
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Banerjee
authors.forename: Martin G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Pomper
mesh_terms: D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000556:secondary; D002614:Chelating Agents; D002951:Citrates; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D005260:Female; D005708:Gallium; D005710:Gallium Radioisotopes / Q000191:economics; D006207:Half-Life; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D064847:Multimodal Imaging; D018358:Neuroendocrine Tumors / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D015282:Octreotide / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography / Q000379:methods; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D017481:Receptors, Somatostatin / Q000378:metabolism; D013004:Somatostatin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
chemical_list: D002614:Chelating Agents; D002951:Citrates; D005710:Gallium Radioisotopes; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D017481:Receptors, Somatostatin; D013004:Somatostatin; D005708:Gallium; C103850:gallium citrate; D015282:Octreotide; C106246:Edotreotide