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Somatostatin Receptor Analogs (68Ga-DOTATOC, 68Ga-DOTANOC, 68Ga-DOTATATE)

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Radiopharmaceuticals

Abstract

Neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) are rare neoplasms originating from neuroendocrine cells and characterized by the property of producing hormones and biogenic amines. NETs can present an indolent clinical course, thus diagnosis may be delayed when disease is at an advanced stage. A number of different techniques can be applied for NET diagnosis and localization: magnetic resonance, contrast-enhanced computed tomography, gastrointestinal endoscopy, and ultrasonography. Since NETs are known to overexpress somatostatin receptors, somatostatin receptor scintigraphy (SRS) with 111In-pentetreotide has been widely used for NET diagnosis, staging and monitoring response to treatment. Nevertheless, conventional scintigraphic approach presents some limitations due to poor spatial resolution. Positron emission tomography (PET) with 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose has a limited role for the imaging of NETs that are slow-growing neoplasms with reduced expression of glucose transporter receptors. To overcome these drawbacks, three different radiopharmaceuticals binding to somatostatin receptors have been introduced: 68Ga-DOTA-Phe1-Tyr3-Octreotide (TOC), 68Ga-DOTA-NaI3-Octreotide (NOC), and 68Ga-DOTA-Tyr3-Octreotate (TATE). This chapter is aimed to review these 68Ga-DOTA-compounds with particular emphasis on their synthesis, pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic properties and on the clinical application in NETs diagnosis and follow-up.

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Abbreviations

CT:

Computed tomography

DOTA:

1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7,10-tetraacetic acid

FDG:

18fluorodeoxyglucose

MRI:

Magnetic resonance imaging

NET:

Neuroendocrine tumors

PET:

Positron emission tomography

PRRT:

Peptide receptor radionuclide therapy

SRS:

Somatostatin receptor scintigraphy

US:

Ultrasonography

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Nuclear Medicine, Santa Maria Goretti Hospital, Latina, Italy

    Luca Filippi & Oreste Bagni

  2. Department of Nuclear Medicine, Sant’Andrea Hospital, Rome, Italy

    Patrizia Pizzichini & Francesco Scopinaro

Authors
  1. Luca Filippi
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  2. Patrizia Pizzichini
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  3. Oreste Bagni
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  4. Francesco Scopinaro
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Nuclear Medicine and Theranostics, Mariano Santo Hospital, Cosenza, Italy

    Ferdinando Calabria

  2. Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy

    Orazio Schillaci

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Filippi, L., Pizzichini, P., Bagni, O., Scopinaro, F. (2020). Somatostatin Receptor Analogs (68Ga-DOTATOC, 68Ga-DOTANOC, 68Ga-DOTATATE). In: Calabria, F., Schillaci, O. (eds) Radiopharmaceuticals. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-27779-6_6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-27779-6_6

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-27778-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-27779-6

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