title: Somatostatin receptor expression in Merkel cell carcinoma as target for molecular imaging.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare cutaneous neoplasm with increasing incidence, aggressive behavior and poor prognosis. Somatostatin receptors (SSTR) are expressed in MCC and represent a potential target for both imaging and treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  To non-invasively assess SSTR expression in MCC using PET and the radiotracers [68Ga]DOTA-D-Phe1-Tyr3-octreotide (DOTATOC) or -octreotate (DOTATATE) as surrogate for tumor burden. In 24 patients with histologically proven MCC SSTR-PET was performed and compared to results of computed tomography (CT).
  
  
  RESULTS
  SSTR-PET detected primary and metastatic MCC lesions. On a patient-based analysis, sensitivity of SSTR-PET was 73% for nodal metastases, 100% for bone, and 67% for soft-tissue metastases, respectively. Notably, brain metastases were initially detected by SSTR-PET in 2 patients, whereas liver and lung metastases were diagnosed exclusively by CT. SSTR-PET showed concordance to CT results in 20 out of 24 patients. Four patients (17%) were up-staged due to SSTR-PET and patient management was changed in 3 patients (13%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  SSTR-PET showed high sensitivity for imaging bone, soft tissue and brain metastases, and particularly in combination with CT had a significant impact on clinical stage and patient management.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Allergology, University Hospital Würzburg, Josef-Schneider-Strasse 2, 97080 Würzburg, Germany. Buder_K@ukw.de.
authors.forename: Kristina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Buder
authors.forename: Constantin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lapa
authors.forename: Michael C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Kreissl
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schirbel
authors.forename: Ken
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Herrmann
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schnack
authors.forename: Eva-Bettina
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Bröcker
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Goebeler
authors.forename: Andreas K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Buck
authors.forename: Jürgen C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Becker
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary; D015266:Carcinoma, Merkel Cell / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D057054:Molecular Imaging; D015282:Octreotide / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography / Q000379:methods; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D017481:Receptors, Somatostatin / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013004:Somatostatin / Q000378:metabolism; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
chemical_list: D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D017481:Receptors, Somatostatin; D013004:Somatostatin; D015282:Octreotide; C106246:Edotreotide
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