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Press Release

• PET Offers More Precise Screening Method to Select Candidates for Radionuclide Therapy

  Sep 24, 2019 — PET scanning can offer more precise selection of patients for neuroendocrine tumor therapy, allowing some patients to qualify who would otherwise have been ineligible, according to an article featured in The Journal of Nuclear Medicine.

• Bipartisan Group Moves to Expand Access to Diagnostic Radiopharmaceuticals

  Jul 17, 2019 — On July 16, a bipartisan group introduced the Medicare Diagnostic Radiopharmaceutical Payment Equity Act of 2019 (HR 3772). The bill would expand patient access to highly targeted, precision diagnostic radiopharmaceuticals that evaluate conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and some cancers—allowing patients to get the right treatment faster and saving taxpayers money.

• Influence of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine Jumps 25 Percent

  Jun 27, 2019 — The Journal of Nuclear Medicine again ranks among the top five medical imaging journals in the world. JNM continues to lead among nuclear medicine journals, with the highest impact factor (7.354), the highest immediacy index, the highest number of citations, the highest 5-year impact factor, the highest number of citable articles, and the highest influence score.

• Molecular Imaging Suggests Smokers May Have Impaired Neuroimmune Function

  Jun 25, 2019 — Research presented at the 2019 Annual Meeting of the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNM MI) shows preliminary evidence that tobacco smokers may have reduced neuroimmune function compared with nonsmokers.

• Ultrasmall Nanoclusters and Carbon Quantum Dots Show Promise for Treating Acute Kidney Injury

  Jun 25, 2019 — Two research studies offer hope for effective treatment and prevention on acute kidney injury.

• New Combination Therapy Established as Safe and Effective for Prostate Cancer

  Jun 25, 2019 — A novel therapy using two targeted treatments for prostate cancer has been shown to maximize efficacy while reducing side effects.

• SNMMI Image of the Year: Novel Radiotracer Detects 28 Cancer Types, Paving the Way for Development of New Therapies

  Jun 25, 2019 — Each year, the SNMMI chooses an image that best exemplifies the most promising advances in the field of nuclear medicine and molecular imaging. This year the honor goes to a team of researchers at University Hospital Heidelberg, Germany. Showcasing the efficacy of the FAPI radiotracer, the image demonstrates the uptake of the FAPI in 12 epidemiological tumor entities, including high uptake values in lung, breast, prostate, esophageal and pancreatic cancer.

• Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging Announces 2019 Fellows

  Jun 25, 2019 — The Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging recognized 13 new SNMMI Fellows on Monday, June 24, during the Monday plenary session at the society’s 2019 Annual Meeting, held June 22-25 in Anaheim, California.

• Radionuclide Therapy Effective in High-Grade Neuroendocrine Neoplasms

  Jun 25, 2019 — Peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT) has been shown to be safe and effective for patients with grade 3 (G3) neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs), according to research presented at SNMMI's 2019 Annual Meeting.

• SNMMI Elects Richard L. Wahl, MD, as Vice President-Elect During 2019 Annual Meeting

  Jun 24, 2019 — Richard L. Wahl, MD, has been elected as 2019-20 vice president-elect of the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI). Wahl is the Elizabeth E. Mallinckrodt Professor and head of radiology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, director of the university’s Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology and a professor of radiation oncology.

• SNMMI Announces Mark H. Crosthwaite, MEd, CNMT, PET, NMTCB(S), FSNMMI-TS, as President of Technologist Section During 2019 Annual Meeting

  Jun 24, 2019 — Mark H. Crosthwaite, MEd, CNMT, PET, NMTCB(S), FSNMMI-TS, associate professor and program director of the baccalaureate nuclear medicine technology program, Department of Radiation Sciences, at Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, has been named 2019-2020 president of the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging Technologist Section (SNMMI-TS).

• SNMMI Elects Vasken Dilsizian, MD, as President During 2019 Annual Meeting

  Jun 24, 2019 — Vasken Dilsizian, MD, professor of radiology and medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and chief of the Division of Nuclear Medicine at the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore, Maryland, has assumed office as 2019-20 president of the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI).

• SNMMI Elects Alan B. Packard, PhD, as President-Elect During 2019 Annual Meeting

  Jun 24, 2019 — Alan Packard, PhD, has been elected as 2019-20 president-elect of the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI). Packard is associate professor of radiology at Harvard Medical School, director of radiopharmaceutical research and a senior research associate in nuclear medicine at Boston Children's Hospital, and research associate in nuclear medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts.

• Wearable Technology to Personalize Lu-177-DOTATATE Therapy for NETs

  Jun 24, 2019 — Researchers at the University of Washington in Seattle, Washington, are developing a user-friendly (worn at home) vest with technology that collects data to tailor personalized therapy for patients with metastatic, somatostatin-receptor-2 positive neuroendocrine tumors (NETs).

• Nuclear Medicine PSMA-Targeted Study Offers New Options for Cancer Theranostics Worldwide

  Jun 24, 2019 — Research presented at the 2019 Annual Meeting of the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) describes a new class of radiopharmaceuticals—radiohybrids—that offer a fresh perspective on cancer imaging and radioligand therapy (theranostics). In addition, the technology encompasses a highly innovative and efficient isotopic labeling method to facilitate broad application.

• SNMMI Announces Tina M. Buehner, MS, CNMT, NMTCB(CT)(RS), RT(N)(CT), FSNMMI-TS, as President-Elect of Technologist Section During 2019 Annual Meeting

  Jun 24, 2019 — Tina M. Buehner, MS, CNMT, NMTCB(CT)(RS), RT(N)(CT), FSNMMI-TS, has been named 2019-2020 president-elect of the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging Technologist Section (SNMMI-TS). Buehner is a health physicist specialist at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, Illinois.

• Earlier Diagnosis and Treatment Assessment of Tuberculosis Achieved with PET/CT

  Jun 24, 2019 — Research presented at SNMMI's 2019 Annual Meeting shows that molecular imaging with 18F-FDG PET/CT can evaluate tuberculosis at the molecular level, effectively identifying diseased areas and guiding treatment for patients.

• Marcelo F. Di Carli, MD, Receives the SNMMI 2019 Georg Charles de Hevesy Nuclear Pioneer Award

  Jun 23, 2019 — Marcelo F. Di Carli, MD, was presented the Georg Charles de Hevesy Nuclear Pioneer Award for his contributions to nuclear medicine at the SNMMI 2019 Annual Meeting, in Anaheim, California.

• Jason S. Lewis, PhD, Receives SNMMI 2019 Paul C. Aebersold Award for Outstanding Achievement in Basic Nuclear Medicine Science

  Jun 23, 2019 — Jason S. Lewis, PhD, was presented the prestigious Paul C. Aebersold Award during the SNMMI 2019 Annual Meeting, June 22-25 in Anaheim, California.

• Interim Scan during Prostate Cancer Therapy Helps Guide Treatment

  Jun 23, 2019 — New prostate cancer research shows that adding an interim scan during therapy can help guide a patient’s treatment. The research was presented at the SNMMI 2019 Annual Meeting.

• PET/CT Detects Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors in Obstructive Sleep Apnea Patients

  Jun 23, 2019 — Research presented at SNMMI’s 2019 Annual Meeting draws a strong link between severe obstructive sleep apnea and impaired coronary flow reserve, which is an early sign of the heart disease atherosclerosis.

• Novel Noninvasive Molecular Imaging for Monitoring Rheumatoid Arthritis

  Jun 23, 2019 — A first-in-human Phase 1/Phase II study demonstrates that intravenous administration of the radiopharmaceutical imaging agent technetium-99m (99mTc) tilmanocept promises to be a safe, well-tolerated, noninvasive means of monitoring rheumatoid arthritis disease activity. The study was presented at the SNMMI 2019 Annual Meeting.

• Early Biomarker Found for Degenerative Neurologic Disease

  Jun 22, 2019 — Researchers have discovered a novel radioligand that can effectively differentiate progressive supranuclear palsy from similar brain disorders, allowing for earlier and more reliable diagnosis of the disease.

• Immuno-PET Precisely Diagnoses IBD Inflammation without Invasive Procedures

  Jun 17, 2019 — Inflammation in inflammatory bowel disease can be quickly and precisely diagnosed using a new type of nuclear medicine scan. In addition, immuno-PET has high potential for theranostic diagnosis and precision treatment of IBD and other inflammatory diseases. The research is featured in the June issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine.

• New Radiotracer Can Identify Nearly 30 Types of Cancer

  Jun 7, 2019 — A novel class of radiopharmaceuticals has proven effective in non-invasively identifying nearly 30 types of malignant tumors. Using 68Ga-FAPI PET/CT, researchers were able to image the tumors with very high uptake and image contrast, paving the way for new applications in tumor characterization, staging and therapy. The research is featured in the June issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine.

• Coronary Artery Disease Diagnosis Improved by Deep Learning Analysis of SPECT MPI

  May 27, 2019 — A multicenter international study has demonstrated that diagnosis of obstructive coronary artery disease can be improved through deep learning analysis of SPECT myocardial perfusion imaging. The research is featured in the May issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine.

• Nuclear Medicine Therapy Shows Long-Term Effectiveness for Malignant Neuroendocrine Tumors

  Apr 26, 2019 — A 12-year retrospective clinical study of patients who received peptide receptor radionuclide therapy for malignant neuroendocrine tumors demonstrates the long-term effectiveness of this treatment, which also allows patients to maintain a high quality of life. The study is featured in the April issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine.

• SNMMI and ACR Collaborate on Clinical Data Registry for Nuclear Medicine

  Apr 8, 2019 — SNMMI and the American College of Radiology announce a new collaborative clinical data registry to support high-quality practice and patient care. The registry will allow collection and analysis of data on nuclear medicine procedures, supporting continuous improvement of patient care.

• New PET Imaging Biomarker Could Better Predict Progression of Alzheimer’s Disease

  Apr 4, 2019 — Researchers have discovered a way to better predict progression of Alzheimer’s disease. A study utilizing positron emission tomography to image microglial activation levels showed that these levels could predict current and future cognitive performance better than beta-amyloid levels. The research is published in the April issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine.

• First Total-Body PET/CT Studies Show Potential for Better, Faster, Lower-Dose Images

  Mar 29, 2019 — The first human case studies from the first total-body PET/CT scanner show enhanced image quality, reduced scan time, a longer time window to perform the scan, reduced dose and total-body dynamic imaging, among other benefits and possibilities. The research is published in the March issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine.

• New Tracers Improve Diagnosis of Cancer and May Be Useful for Treatment

  Mar 11, 2019 — Researchers have identified two new nuclear medicine tracers that make it easier to diagnose and potentially treat multiple types of cancer, providing high-quality images with less patient preparation and shorter acquisition times.

• Nuclear Medicine Imaging Monitors Effectiveness of Therapy for Melanoma Patients

  Mar 5, 2019 — Nuclear medicine imaging with PET/CT can monitor the effectiveness of immunotherapy treatment for metastatic melanoma and predict outcome. In this way, a patient’s therapy can be more effectively tailored to his or her personal response.

• Novel PET/CT Imaging Agent Shows Promise for Safe and Effective Diagnosis of Acute Venous Thromboembolism

  Feb 15, 2019 — Researchers report that a new nuclear medicine tracer may allow better diagnosis of acute venous thromboembolism (VTE). Acute VTE is a disease that includes deep-vein thrombosis and its complication, pulmonary embolism, which can be fatal. The research is featured in the February issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine.

• PET Imaging Agent May Allow Early Measurement of Efficacy of Breast Cancer Therapy

  Feb 11, 2019 — Physicians may soon have a new way to measure the efficacy of hormone therapy for breast cancer patients, according to research published in the February issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine.

• Combined SPECT and Cardiac MR Imaging Can Help Guide Ventricular Tachycardia Ablation

  Jan 30, 2019 — Adding functional imaging to structural imaging of patients with ventricular tachycardia (VT) has the potential to improve current VT ablation strategies, according to new research published in the January 2019 issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine.

• New PET Probe Could Improve Detection of Primary and Metastatic Melanoma

  Jan 16, 2019 — A new nuclear medicine method for detecting malignant melanoma, one of the most aggressive skin cancers, has been successfully tested for the first time in humans and could improve detection of both primary and metastatic melanoma. The research is featured in the January 2019 issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine.

• Whole Body PET/MRI Provides One-Stop-Shop for Staging of High-Risk Prostate Cancer Patients

  Dec 11, 2018 — New research shows that molecular imaging—specifically, PSMA PET/MR—performs as well as currently used tools and provides additional information on tumor location that could help guide treatment for prostate cancer patients.

• New PET Tracer Identified for Imaging Tau in Alzheimer’s Disease Patients

  Dec 5, 2018 — Researchers have identified a promising second-generation positron emission tomography (PET) tracer for imaging and measuring tau pathology, contributing to understanding of Alzheimer’s and related dementias.

• SNMMI Welcomes Cardinal Health to Value Initiative Leadership

  Nov 12, 2018 — SNMMI is pleased to announce that Cardinal Health has joined the SNMMI’s Value Initiative Industry Alliance.

• Prostate Cancer Radiotherapy More Precisely Targeted with Nuclear Medicine Imaging

  Nov 8, 2018 — A nuclear medicine imaging procedure can pinpoint prostate cancer with superior accuracy, allowing more precisely targeted treatment, according to new research featured in the November 2018 issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine.

• Novel Tracer Developed for Precision Targeting of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

  Nov 5, 2018 — New research shows PET imaging with the 18F-FAC radiotracer can be used as a non-invasive substitute for liver biopsies. The study is featured in the October issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine.

• SNMMI Expresses Support of H.R. 6948: The Medicare Diagnostic Radiopharmaceutical Payment Equity Act of 2018

  Oct 4, 2018 — The Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging commend Congressmen George Holding (NC-2) and Seth Moulton (MA-6) for introducing H.R. 6948.

• New Study Evaluates Efficacy of PET Imaging to Manage Chronic Liver Diseases

  Oct 4, 2018 — New research shows PET imaging with the 18F-FAC radiotracer can be used as a non-invasive substitute for liver biopsies. The study is featured in the October issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine.

• New Nuclear Medicine Tracer Will Help Study the Aging Brain

  Oct 3, 2018 — A new PET imaging radiotracer could help researchers understand neurodegenerative disease and the aging brain.

• SNMMI 2018-2020 Wagner-Torizuka Fellowship Recipients Announced

  Sep 20, 2018 — The Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2018-2020 SNMMI Wagner-Torizuka Fellowship.

• Researchers Identify Pitfall in Popular Prostate Cancer PET Imaging Method

  Sep 7, 2018 — Prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) positron emission tomography (PET) imaging has become a popular method for determining the stage of a patient’s prostate cancer. However, researchers have identified a major pitfall in this imaging technique and are cautioning medical professionals to be aware of the potential for misdiagnosis.

• New Nuclear Medicine Imaging Method Shows Strong Potential for Cancer Imaging

  Sep 5, 2018 — A new nuclear medicine imaging method could help diagnose widespread tumors, such as breast, colon, pancreas, lung and head and neck cancer better than current methods, with less inconvenience to patients and with equal or improved accuracy.

• SNMMI Honors Outstanding Contributors at 2018 Annual Meeting

  Aug 13, 2018 — The Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI), an international scientific and medical organization, recognized contributions to the field of nuclear medicine and molecular imaging during its 2018 Annual Meeting in Philadelphia. Several awards ceremonies were held to recognize the valuable role SNMMI members play in advancing the diagnosis and treatment of heart disease, cancer and neurological conditions.

• PET Tracer Identifies Estrogen Receptor Expression Differences in Breast Cancer Patients

  Aug 6, 2018 — In metastatic breast cancer, prognosis and treatment is largely influenced by estrogen receptor (ER) expression of the metastases. However, little is known about ER expression across metastases throughout the body and surrounding normal tissue. Using a PET tracer, researchers in the Netherlands have been able to identify differences in ER expression, which could help guide treatment for metastatic breast cancer patients. The study is featured in The Journal of Nuclear Medicine’s August issue.

• Novel PET Imaging Method Could Track and Guide Therapy for Type 1 Diabetes

  Aug 2, 2018 — Researchers have discovered a new nuclear medicine test that could improve care of patients with type 1 diabetes. The new PET imaging method could measure beta-cell mass, which would greatly enhance the ability to monitor and guide diabetes therapies. This study is reported in the featured article of the month in The Journal of Nuclear Medicine’s August issue.

• SNMMI Technologist Section Announces 2018 Award Winners

  Jul 30, 2018 — SNMMI’s Technologist Section (SNMMI-TS) recognized contributions to and work in the field of nuclear medicine and molecular imaging during the SNMMI 2018 Annual Meeting in Philadelphia. Several awards ceremonies were held to recognize the valuable role that SNMMI-TS members play in advancing the discipline of nuclear medicine technology.

• The Journal of Nuclear Medicine Impact Factor Increases by 12 Percent

  Jul 18, 2018 — The Journal of Nuclear Medicine (JNM)—SNMMI's flagship publication—has again been ranked among the top medical imaging journals worldwide, according to new data released in the 2017 Journal Citation Reports© published by Clarivate Analytics. JNM’s impact factor went up from 6.646 (2016) to 7.439 (2017).

• Novel PET Imaging Method More Fully Evaluates Extent of Rheumatoid Arthritis Inflammation

  Jul 9, 2018 — A new PET imaging method more fully evaluates the extent of rheumatoid arthritis by targeting translocator protein (TSPO) expression in the synovium (joint lining tissue). The study is featured in the July issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine.

• Novel Pretargeted Radionuclide Therapy for HER2-Expressing Cancers Shows Promise

  Jul 2, 2018 — In a mouse model, researchers have demonstrated that a novel, affibody-based pretargeted radionuclide therapy for HER2 (human epidermal growth factor receptor 2)-expressing cancers is non-toxic to the kidneys and improves survival. The study is reported in The Journal of Nuclear Medicine’s July featured article of the month.

• SNMMI 65th Annual Meeting Sets the Stage for a Revolution in Precision Medicine

  Jun 28, 2018 — More than 5,000 physicians, technologists, scientists and exhibitors gathered for the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging’s 65th Annual Meeting, held June 23-26 in Philadelphia. With nuclear medicine playing a growing role in providing precision medicine, theranostics (combining diagnostic imaging and targeted radionuclide therapy) were an important focus throughout the meeting.

• Fluciclovine PET/CT Locates Recurrent Prostate Cancer and Advises Management

  Jun 26, 2018 — The addition of fluorine-18-fluciclovine PET/CT to the diagnostic work-up of patients with biochemical recurrence of prostate cancer locates previously undetected lesions and changes treatment management for the majority of patients, according to a clinical trial report presented at the SNMMI 2018 Annual Meeting.

• SNMMI Announces Norman E. Bolus, MSPH, MPH, CNMT, FSNMMI-TS, as President of Technologist Section During 2018 Annual Meeting

  Jun 26, 2018 — Norman E. Bolus, MSPH, MPH, CNMT, FSNMMI-TS, has been elected as the 2018-2019 president of the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging Technologist Section (SNMMI-TS). The new slate of officers was introduced during the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging’s (SNMMI) 2018 Annual Meeting, June 23–26 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

• SNMMI Announces Mark H. Crosthwaite, MEd, CNMT, PET, NMTCB(S), FSNMMI-TS, as President-Elect of Technologist Section during 2018 Annual Meeting

  Jun 26, 2018 — Mark H. Crosthwaite, MEd, CNMT, PET, NMTCB(S), FSNMMI-TS, associate professor and program director of the baccalaureate nuclear medicine technology program, Department of Radiation Sciences, at Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, has been named 2018-2019 president elect of the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging Technologist Section (SNMMI-TS).

• SNMMI Image of the Year: PSMA PET Imaging of Theranostic for Advanced Prostate Cancer

  Jun 26, 2018 — In the battle against metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer, studies have demonstrated a high response rate to radionuclide therapy targeting PSMA with the radionuclide lutetium-177. At the SNMMI 2018 Annual Meeting, researchers reported on a phase II prospective trial. Using gallium-68-PSMA11 PET imaging, men who had exhausted conventional therapies were screened. Those with high PSMA-expression proceeded to 177Lu-PSMA617 (LuPSMA) therapy and experienced high response rates, which is clearly demonstrated in the PSMA PET imaging figure selected as the 2018 SNMMI Image of the Year.

• Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging Announces 2018 Fellows

  Jun 26, 2018 — The Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging recognized 14 new SNMMI Fellows on June 25 during a Special Plenary Session at the society’s 2018 Annual Meeting, held June 23-26 in Philadelphia.

• Early Treatment of Advanced Prostate Cancer with PSMA-Targeted Radioligand Therapy Prolongs Life

  Jun 26, 2018 — Research presented at the SNMMI 2018 Annual Meeting demonstrates for the first time the benefit of providing earlier lutetium-177 prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) radioligand therapy to patients with metastatic prostate cancer. Until now, this therapy has only been used in patients with end-stage disease.

• SNMMI Elects Vasken Dilsizian, MD, as President-Elect During 2018 Annual Meeting

  Jun 25, 2018 — Vasken Dilsizian, MD, professor of radiology and medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and chief of the Division of Nuclear Medicine at the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore, Maryland, has assumed office as 2018-19 president-elect of SNMMI.

• SNMMI Elects Alan B. Packard, PhD, as Vice President-Elect at 2018 Annual Meeting

  Jun 25, 2018 — Alan Packard, PhD, has been elected as 2018-19 vice president-elect of SNMMI. He is associate professor of radiology at Harvard Medical School, director of radiopharmaceutical research and a senior research associate in nuclear medicine at Boston Children's Hospital, and a research associate in nuclear medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts.

• SNMMI Elects Satoshi Minoshima, MD, PhD, as President During 2018 Annual Meeting

  Jun 25, 2018 — Satoshi Minoshima, MD, PhD, professor and chair of the Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences at the University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, has assumed office as 2018-19 president of the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI). SNMMI introduced a new slate of officers during its 2018 Annual Meeting, June 23–26 in Philadelphia.

• Sanjiv Sam Gambhir, MD, PhD, Receives 2018 Benedict Cassen Prize for Research in Molecular Imaging

  Jun 25, 2018 — Sanjiv Sam Gambhir, MD, PhD, known for his pioneering work in multimodality molecular imaging, was awarded the Benedict Cassen Prize during the 2018 Annual Meeting of the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) in Philadelphia, Pa. This honor is awarded every two years by the Education and Research Foundation for Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging in recognition of outstanding achievement and work leading to a major advance in nuclear medicine science.

• New Theranostic Strategy Developed for Precise Tumor Diagnosis and Therapy

  Jun 25, 2018 — A novel, intelligent theranostic agent for precise tumor diagnosis and therapy has been developed that remains as small molecules while circulating in the bloodstream, can then self-assemble into larger nanostructures in the tumor, and be activated by the tumor microenvironment for therapy guided by photoacoustic imaging. The research was presented at the SNMMI 2018 Annual Meeting.

• Novel Nuclear Medicine Approach Shows Promise for Treating Wide Array of Cancerous Tumors

  Jun 24, 2018 — A novel nuclear medicine approach is showing great promise for precision treatment of solid tumors in many types of cancer—including lung, breast, pancreas and ovarian in adults and glioma, neuroblastoma and sarcoma in children. The research was presented today at the SNMMI 2018 Annual Meeting, June 23-26 in Philadelphia.

• Richard L. Wahl, MD, Receives SNMMI 2018 Georg Charles de Hevesy Nuclear Pioneer Award

  Jun 24, 2018 — Richard L. Wahl, MD, FACNM, FACR, has been named this year’s recipient of the Georg Charles de Hevesy Nuclear Pioneer Award for his contributions to nuclear medicine. Wahl is the Elizabeth E. Mallinckrodt Professor and head of radiology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, director of the university’s Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology and a professor of radiation oncology. He was presented the award by the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) during its 2018 Annual Meeting, June 23-26 in Philadelphia.

• Simon Cherry, PhD, Receives SNMMI 2018 Paul C. Aebersold Award for Outstanding Achievement in Basic Nuclear Medicine Science

  Jun 24, 2018 — Simon R. Cherry, PhD, Distinguished Professor at the University of California, Davis, has been named the 2018 recipient of the prestigious Paul C. Aebersold Award. Cherry was presented the award by the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) during its Annual Meeting, June 23-26 in Philadelphia, PA.

• Novel Long-Lasting Radionuclide Therapy for Advanced Neuroendocrine Tumors Proves Effective

  Jun 24, 2018 — A first-in-human study presented at the 2018 Annual Meeting of the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) demonstrates the benefits and safety of a new, long-lasting type of radionuclide therapy for patients with advanced, metastatic neuroendocrine tumors (NETs).

• Combining Targeted Radionuclide Therapy and Immunotherapy Could Improve Melanoma Survival

  Jun 24, 2018 — Research presented at the 2018 Annual Meeting of the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) shows that combining targeted radionuclide therapy with immunotherapy could improve the survival of patients with metastatic melanoma.

• New Nuclear Medicine Technique Could Help Tackle Brain Disease

  Jun 24, 2018 — A new molecular imaging method can monitor the success of gene therapy in all areas of the brain, potentially allowing physicians to more effectively tackle brain conditions such as Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease and multiple sclerosis. The research was presented today at the SNMMI 2018 Annual Meeting, June 23-26 in Philadelphia.

• Novel Nuclear Medicine Probe Will Help Assess New Drugs for Neurodegenerative Diseases

  Jun 24, 2018 — New nuclear medicine tracers could help medical researchers find a cure for Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases. The research was presented today at the SNMMI 2018 Annual Meeting, June 23-26 in Philadelphia.

• Novel PET Tracer Successfully Images Cardiovascular Infections

  Jun 23, 2018 — A novel positron emission tomography (PET) tracer has been developed that can accurately image cardiovascular infections, which are extremely dangerous and have a high fatality rate. The research was presented at the 2018 Annual Meeting of the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI).

• Improved PSMA-Targeting Agent More Effective for Prostate Cancer Diagnosis and Therapy in Mice

  Jun 23, 2018 — Research presented at the 2018 Annual Meeting of the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) demonstrates a potentially more effective method of imaging and treating prostate cancer that modifies a prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA)-targeted radioligand by adding an albumin-binding Evans blue (an azo dye) derivative.

• WMIS, ACR and SNMMI Urge CMS to Reopen Reconsideration for NaF PET

  Jun 7, 2018 — Medicare patients with metastatic cancers may be negatively impacted by the recent decision of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to decline to provide coverage for 18F-sodium fluoride positron emission tomography (NaF PET) imaging.

• New Nuclear Medicine Method Shows Promise for Better Detection of Neuroendocrine Tumors

  Jun 6, 2018 — Researchers have shown that a new nuclear medicine procedure could safely and more effectively detect cancerous gastrointestinal and pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors than current methods. The study is featured in the June issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine.

• Novel PET Imaging Noninvasively Pinpoints Colitis Inflammation Sites

  Jun 4, 2018 — A novel positron emission tomography (PET) imaging method shows promise for noninvasively pinpointing sites of inflammation in people with inflammatory bowel disease, which includes ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), study is featured in the June issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine.

• SNMMI 2018 Annual Meeting: Imaging the Future of Human Health

  May 31, 2018 — The SNMMI 2018 Annual Meeting will be held at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia, PA, June 23–26. It will bring together physicians, technologists, pharmacists and scientists from around the globe to share research, network, and collaborate on “Imaging the Future of Human Health.”

• SNMMI Collaborates with Industry to Advance the Field of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging

  May 17, 2018 — The Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) Value Initiative Industry Alliance brings members of the corporate community to the table as key players in building the future of nuclear medicine and molecular imaging and demonstrating to the medical community, regulators, patients and the public their crucial role in delivering the highest quality of care.

• PET Imaging Agent Could Provide Early Diagnosis of Rheumatoid Arthritis

  May 3, 2018 — A novel PET tracer developed by Korean researchers can visualize joint inflammation and could provide early diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis, a common autoimmune disease that causes chronic inflammation of joints and can lead to deformity and dysfunction. The study is reported in the featured basic science article in The Journal of Nuclear Medicine’s May issue.

• Novel Theranostic Approach for Treating Pancreatic Cancer Patients Shows Promise

  May 1, 2018 — German researchers have developed a novel diagnostic and therapeutic (theranostic) procedure for patients with ductal pancreatic adenocarcinoma, a deadly cancer with an extremely poor prognosis (five-year survival rate of less than 5 percent) and limited treatment options. The study is featured in the May issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine.

• PET Tracer Could Help Predict Treatment Effectiveness for Depression

  Apr 6, 2018 — A PET imaging agent could show, ahead of time, whether a specific treatment is likely to be effective for major depressive disorder—a debilitating condition that affects more than 14 million Americans. No such marker is currently available in clinical psychiatry. The study is featured in the April issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine.

• Novel PET Imaging Agent Could Help Guide Therapy for Brain Diseases

  Apr 2, 2018 — Researchers have developed a new PET imaging agent that could help guide and assess treatments for people with various neurological diseases, including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and multiple sclerosis. The agent targets receptors in nerve cells in the brain that are involved in learning and memory. The study is featured in the April issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine.

• Novel PET Imaging Agent Targets Copper in Tumors, Allowing Early Detection of Prostate Cancer Recurrence

  Mar 5, 2018 — An Italian study featured in the March issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine demonstrates that a novel nuclear medicine imaging agent targeting copper accumulation in tumors can detect prostate cancer recurrence early in patients with biochemical relapse (rising prostate-specific antigen [PSA] level).

• Researchers Develop New Approach That Uses a Single PET Scan to Personalize Cancer Treatment

  Mar 1, 2018 — Researchers have developed a same-day, noninvasive PET-based imaging approach to assess PD-L1 positive tumors, which could help guide cancer treatment decisions and assess treatment response. The study is presented in the featured article of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine’s March issue.

• SNMMI and ASNC Issue Joint Guidelines for Quantification of Myocardial Blood Flow Using PET

  Feb 13, 2018 — SNMMI's Cardiovascular Council and the American Society of Nuclear Cardiology (ASNC) have issued the joint position paper, Clinical Quantification of Myocardial Blood Flow Using PET, which was jointly published in the Journal of Nuclear Cardiology and The Journal of Nuclear Medicine.

• PSMA PET/CT Clearly Differentiates Prostate Cancer from Benign Tissue

  Feb 5, 2018 — Using nuclear medicine, German researchers have found a way to accurately differentiate cancerous tissue from healthy tissue in prostate cancer patients. The research is highlighted in the February issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine.

• PSMA PET/CT Visualizes Prostate Cancer Recurrence Early, Impacts Radiation Therapy

  Feb 1, 2018 — A nuclear medicine scan may locate prostate cancer recurrence after radical prostatectomy early after disease recurrence and could help guide salvage radiotherapy, according to new research from the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA). The study, which utilizes PET/CT with gallium-68 prostate-specific membrane antigen (68Ga-PSMA-11), is documented in the featured article in the February issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine.

• Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology to Be Covered by Clarivate Analytics

  Jan 11, 2018 — The Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology (JNMT) has been selected by Clarivate Analytics for inclusion in its Emerging Sources Citation Index. This coverage begins with 2017.

• Kathy Thomas Named Editor of the Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology

  Jan 9, 2018 — Kathy Thomas, MHA, CNMT, PET, FSNMMI-TS, is the new editor of the Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology (JNMT), which is published by the technologist section of the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI). She has taken over leadership of JNMT from Norman E. Bolus, MSPH, MPH, CNMT, FSNMMI-TS, and her five-year term begins January 2018.

• Novel PET Tracer Clearly Identifies and Tracks Bacterial Infection in Lungs

  Jan 8, 2018 — Researchers at the University of Louisville, Kentucky, have demonstrated that a new radiotracer, F-18-FDS, can identify and track bacterial infection in lungs better than current imaging methods and is able to differentiate bacterial infection from inflammation. The study is the featured basic science article in the January issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine.

• SNMMI Publishes Appropriate Use Criteria for Somatostatin Receptor PET Imaging

  Jan 4, 2018 — SNMMI has published appropriate use criteria (AUC) for somatostatin receptor PET imaging in neuroendocrine tumors (NETs), addressing several clinical scenarios for diagnosing NETs. This AUC is part of a new series developed by SNMMI in its role as a qualified provider-led entity under the Medicare Appropriate Use Criteria Program for Advanced Diagnostic Imaging.

• Total-Body PET: Maximizing Sensitivity for Clinical Research and Patient Care

  Jan 3, 2018 — The new total-body PET/CT scanner could revolutionize our understanding and treatment of disease through analysis of better imaging data from the whole body. In The Journal of Nuclear Medicine featured January article, scientists at the University of California, Davis, outline the development and benefits of this innovative diagnostic tool and explain how maximizing PET sensitivity will advance clinical research and patient care.

• PET Tracer Gauges Effectiveness of Promising Alzheimer’s Treatment

  Dec 6, 2017 — In the December featured basic science article in The Journal of Nuclear Medicine, Belgian researchers report on the first large-scale longitudinal imaging study to evaluate BACE1 inhibition with micro-PET in mouse models of Alzheimer’s disease. PET imaging has been established as an excellent identifier of the amyloid plaque and tau tangles that characterize Alzheimer’s disease. Now it is proving to be an effective way to gauge treatment effectiveness.

• PET Scan Identifies Which Prostate Cancer Patients Can Benefit from Salvage Radiation Treatment

  Dec 4, 2017 — For prostate cancer patients who have rising levels of PSA (a cancer indicator) even after radical prostatectomy, early treatment makes a difference. In a study featured in the December issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine, Australian researchers demonstrate that PET scans can identify which of these prostate cancer patients would benefit from salvage radiation treatment.

• Novel Nuclear Medicine Test Can Identify Kidney Transplant Infection

  Nov 8, 2017 — German scientists have developed a novel nuclear medicine test that can determine whether a kidney transplant patient has developed infection in the transplanted tissue. The study, which utilizes positron emission tomography/magnetic resonance imaging (PET/MRI), is presented in the November issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine.

• FDG PET Shows Tumor DNA Levels in Blood Are Linked to NSCLC Aggressiveness

  Nov 6, 2017 — Insights derived from FDG PET could improve treatment selection for patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer. The study is presented in the featured clinical investigation article of the November issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine.

• New System for Treating Colorectal Cancer Can Lead to Complete Cure

  Nov 2, 2017 — Researchers at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City and Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Boston have developed a new, three-step system that uses nuclear medicine to target and eliminate colorectal cancer. In this study with a mouse model, researchers achieved a 100-percent cure rate—without any treatment-related toxic effects. The study is reported in the November featured article in The Journal of Nuclear Medicine.

• SNMMI Publishes Appropriate Use Criteria for FDG PET/CT in Restaging and Treatment Response Assessment of Malignant Disease

  Oct 24, 2017 — SNMMI has published appropriate use criteria (AUC) for FDG PET/CT in restaging and treatment response assessment of malignant disease. As cancer patients move through therapy, FDG PET/CT has proven an effective tool for assessing treatment response and updating the stage of malignancy. This AUC aims to improve utilization and guide providers across specialties in its use.

• International Atomic Energy Agency and SNMMI Sign Cooperative Agreement

  Oct 23, 2017 — The Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) have established practical arrangements to cooperate on extending the reach of educational materials for nuclear medicine diagnostic and therapeutic applications. The agreement was signed at the 30th Annual Congress of the European Association of Nuclear Medicine (EANM) in Vienna, Austria, on October 23, 2017.

• Novel PET Tracer Identifies Most Bacterial Infections

  Oct 5, 2017 — Stanford University medical scientists have developed a novel imaging agent that could be used to identify most bacterial infections. The study is the featured basic science article in The Journal of Nuclear Medicine’s October issue.

• What’s Next for Nuclear Medicine Training?

  Oct 4, 2017 — The “Hot Topic” article in the October issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine (JNM), titled Nuclear Medicine Training: What Now?, examines the role of nuclear medicine in the era of precision medicine and the need for training to evolve with the practice. An associated editorial presents an alternative view: “Is 16 Months of Specialized Nuclear Medicine Training Enough for Best Patient Care?” The two perspectives kick off a discussion that will unfold in coming issues of JNM.

• New Targeted Alpha Therapy Protocol for Advanced Prostate Cancer

  Oct 3, 2017 — Therapy options are limited for men with advanced-stage, metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer, but a new treatment protocol offers hope. In the featured article of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine’s October issue, German researchers report on a new dosing regimen for actinium-225-labeled targeted alpha therapy of patients with prostate specific membrane antigen (PSMA)-positive tumors. The protocol balances treatment response with toxicity concerns to provide the most effective therapy with the least side effects.

• Theranostics: Paintball Targeting of Cancer Cells Combined with Precision Therapy

  Sep 13, 2017 — The Journal of Nuclear Medicine’s September supplement shines a spotlight on theranostics and its increasingly important role in delivering precision medicine. Theranostics refers to the combination of a predictive biomarker, identified through diagnostic imaging using radiolabeled ligands, with precise therapy targeted on the now-marked cancer cells. The cancer cells are destroyed, while healthy cells are unharmed.

• Double Targeting Ligands to Identify and Treat Prostate Cancer

  Sep 7, 2017 — Researchers have demonstrated a new, effective way to precisely identify and localize prostate cancer tumors while protecting healthy tissue and reducing side effects. The study is presented in the featured basic article of the September issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine.

• FDG-PET/CT Predicts Melanoma Patients’ Response to Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Therapy

  Sep 5, 2017 — Research highlighted in the featured article of the September issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine demonstrates that combined PET/CT scanning early in the treatment of advanced melanoma could identify whether immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy will benefit a particular patient. As the therapy has potentially serious side-effects, early determination of ineffectiveness could avert unnecessary risk exposure and provide the option of a different treatment.

• SNMMI 2017-2019 Wagner-Torizuka Fellowship Recipients Announced

  Aug 24, 2017 — SNMMI is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2017-2019 SNMMI Wagner-Torizuka Fellowship. This two-year fellowship, founded in 2008 by the late Henry N. Wagner, Jr., MD, and the late Kanji Torizuka, MD, PhD, is designed to provide extensive training and experience in the fields of nuclear medicine and molecular imaging for Japanese physicians in the early stages of their careers. Applications for the 2018-2020 SNMMI Wagner-Torizuka Fellowship are due by January 20, 2018.

• First Human Application of Novel PET Tracer for Prostate Cancer

  Aug 7, 2017 — In the featured translational article in the August issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine, researchers at the University of Michigan demonstrate the potential of a new PET tracer, Carbon-11 labeled sarcosine (11C-sarcosine), for imaging prostate cancer, and set the stage for its possible use in monitoring other cancers.

• SNMMI Publishes Appropriate Use Criteria for Hepatobiliary Scintigraphy in Abdominal Pain

  Aug 3, 2017 — SNMMI has published appropriate use criteria (AUC) for hepatobiliary scintigraphy in abdominal pain. This is the third in a series of new AUC developed by SNMMI in its role as a qualified provider-led entity (PLE) under the Medicare Appropriate Use Criteria Program for Advanced Diagnostic Imaging. The other recently released AUC are for bone scintigraphy in prostate and breast cancer and for ventilation/perfusion (V/Q) imaging in pulmonary embolism.

• SNMMI Honors Outstanding Contributors at 2017 Annual Meeting

  Aug 2, 2017 — SNMMI recognized contributions to the field of nuclear medicine and molecular imaging during its 2017 Annual Meeting in Denver, Colorado. Several awards ceremonies were held to recognize the valuable role SNMMI members play in advancing the diagnosis and treatment of heart disease, cancer and neurological conditions.

• New Imaging Tracer Allows Early Assessment of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Risk

  Aug 1, 2017 — Yale University researchers have developed a way in which medical imaging could potentially be used to assess a patient’s rupture risk for abdominal aortic aneurysm. Delaying surgical treatment can be life-threatening, and this new type of imaging could allow physicians to diagnose disease and better plan its management. The study is presented in the featured article of the August issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine.

• SNMMI Technologist Section Announces 2017 Award Winners

  Jul 20, 2017 — The Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging’s Technologist Section (SNMMI-TS) recognized contributions to and work in the field of nuclear medicine and molecular imaging during the SNMMI 2017 Annual Meeting in Denver, Colorado, held June 10-14. Several awards ceremonies were held to recognize the valuable role that SNMMI-TS members play in advancing the discipline of nuclear medicine technology.

• Radiotherapy Dose Increase to PET/CT-Identified Hypoxic NSCLC Lesions Shows Need for New Approaches

  Jul 10, 2017 — Fluorine-18-fluoromisonidazole (FMISO) is a PET radiotracer that is widely used to diagnose hypoxia (insufficient oxygen supply to tissue), and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with FMISO uptake are known to face a poor prognosis. A multicenter French Phase II study featured in the July issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine investigated whether a selective radiotherapy dose increase to tumor areas with significant FMISO uptake in NSCLC patients could improve outcomes.

• Novel PET Tracer Detects Small Blood Clots

  Jul 6, 2017 — Blood clots in veins and arteries can lead to heart attack, stroke, and pulmonary embolism, which are major causes of mortality. In the featured article of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine’s July 2017 issue, German researchers show that targeting GPIIb/IIIa receptors, the key receptor involved in platelet clumping, with a fluorine-18 labeled ligand is a promising approach for diagnostic imaging.

• The Journal of Nuclear Medicine Impact Factor Increases

  Jun 20, 2017 — The Journal of Nuclear Medicine (JNM)—the flagship publication of the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI)—has again been ranked among the top medical imaging journals worldwide, according to new data released in the 2016 Journal Citation Reports© published by Thomson Reuters. JNM’s impact factor went up from 5.849 (2015) to 6.646 (2016).

• SNMMI’s 64th Annual Meeting Highlights Growing Importance of Theranostics and Showcases New Research

  Jun 15, 2017 — More than 5,000 physicians, technologists, scientists and exhibitors gathered for SNMMI’s 2017 Annual Meeting, held June 10-14 in Denver, Colorado. The meeting shined a spotlight on theranostics, featured Germany as the highlight country, showcased exciting new research results, introduced the new Value Initiative, announced the SNMMI Image of the Year, and more!

• Dual-agent PET/MR With Time of Flight Detects More Cancer

  Jun 14, 2017 — Simultaneous injections of the radiopharmaceuticals fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) and 18F-sodium fluoride (18F-NaF) followed by quantitative scanning significantly improves image quality and detection of bone metastases at a lower dose, according to research presented at the 2017 Annual Meeting of the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI).

• Prostate PET/CT Targets More Cancer and Improves Patient Care

  Jun 14, 2017 — An estimated one in seven American men will be affected by prostate cancer in their lifetime. Prostate-specific molecular imaging gives these men a fighting chance, especially if their cancer returns, according to research revealed at the 2017 Annual Meeting of the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI).

• SNMMI Image of the Year: PET and Optical Imaging of Dual-Labeled PSMA Inhibitors Shows Promise for Prostate Cancer Diagnosis and Therapy

  Jun 14, 2017 — In the battle against metastatic prostate cancer, the removal of lymph node metastases using image-guided surgery may have a high clinical impact on outcomes. Researchers at the 2017 Annual Meeting of the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) demonstrated preclinically that dual-labeled PSMA-inhibitors based on PSMA-11 enhance preoperative staging, using PET/CT followed by fluorescence-guided surgery. The combined approach results in more accurate detection of PSMA-positive tumor lesions.

• SNMMI Announces Norman E. Bolus, MSPH, MPH, CNMT, FSNMMI-TS, as President-Elect of Technologist Section During 2017 Annual Meeting

  Jun 13, 2017 — Norman E. Bolus, MSPH, MPH, CNMT, FSNMMI-TS, program director and assistant professor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Health Professions Clinical and Diagnostics Sciences Department for the Master of Science in Nuclear Medicine Technology Program and interim program director of the Master of Science in Health Physics Program in Birmingham, Alabama, has been elected as the 2017-18 president-elect of the Society of SNMMI-TS.

• Immuno-PET Shows Promise for Detecting and Treating Pancreatic Tumors

  Jun 13, 2017 — A first-in-human study presented at the 2017 Annual Meeting of the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) demonstrates the feasibility and safety of the novel human monoclonal antibody HuMab-5B1 with highly specific targeting for the cancer antigen (CA) 19-9, which is expressed on pancreatic tumors and a variety of other malignancies, including small cell lung cancer and tumors of the gastrointestinal system. It holds the promise of better identifying tumors and directing treatment.

• SNMMI Announces Kathleen M. Krisak, BS, CNMT, FSNMMI-TS, as President of Technologist Section During 2017 Annual Meeting

  Jun 13, 2017 — Kathleen M. Krisak, BS, CNMT, FSNMMI-TS, a nuclear medicine technologist at the Holyoke Medical Center, Holyoke, Mass., has been elected as the 2017-18 president of the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging Technologist Section (SNMMI-TS). The new slate of officers was introduced during the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging’s (SNMMI) 2017 Annual Meeting, June 10-14 in Denver, Colorado.

• Single Dual Time-Point PET Scan Identifies Dual Alzheimer’s Biomarkers

  Jun 13, 2017 — Identifying Alzheimer's disease before major symptoms arise is critical to preserving brain function and helping patients maintain quality of life. A new study presented at the 2017 Annual Meeting of the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) demonstrates that a single dual time-point PET scan could identify important biomarkers of Alzheimer’s.

• SNMMI Elects Bennett S. Greenspan, MD, MS, FACNM, FACR, as President During 2017 Annual Meeting

  Jun 12, 2017 — Bennett S. Greenspan, MD, MS, FACNM, FACR, professor of radiology at the Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, in Augusta, GA, has assumed office as 2017-18 president of the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI). SNMMI introduced a new slate of officers during its 2017 Annual Meeting, June 10-14, in Denver, Colorado.

• Targeted Radionuclide Treatment for Neuroendocrine Tumors Improves Quality of Life

  Jun 12, 2017 — Malignant neuroendocrine tumors, commonly called NETs, are easy to miss and associated with discouraging survival rates and poor quality of life. A study presented at the 2017 Annual Meeting of the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) shows how a novel peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT) is significantly improving patient wellbeing.

• Personalized PRRT Improves Radiation Delivery to Neuroendocrine Tumors

  Jun 12, 2017 — Neuroendocrine cancer is exceedingly difficult to manage and unlikely to be cured, but researchers intend to slow progression of these tumors and aid survival by personalizing patient dose of peptide-receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT), according to research presented at the 2017 Annual Meeting of the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI).

• Combining Radionuclide Therapy with a PARP Inhibitor Slows Neuroendocrine Tumor Growth

  Jun 12, 2017 — Patients with neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) may experience fewer symptoms and survive longer by undergoing peptide-receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT) combined with a drug that makes tumor cells more sensitive to radiation therapy, say researchers presenting at the 2017 Annual Meeting of the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI).

• SNMMI Elects Satoshi Minoshima, MD, PhD, as President-Elect During 2017 Annual Meeting

  Jun 12, 2017 — Satoshi Minoshima, MD, PhD, professor of radiology and chairman of the Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences at the University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, has assumed office as 2017-18 president-elect of the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI). SNMMI introduced a new slate of officers during its 2017 Annual Meeting, June 10-14 in Denver, Colorado.

• At Annual Meeting, SNMMI Recognizes New Fellows for Distinguished Service

  Jun 12, 2017 — The Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging recognized seven new SNMMI Fellows during a Special Plenary Session at the society’s 2017Annual Meeting, held June 10-14 in Denver, Colorado. The SNMMI Fellowship was established last year to recognize distinguished service to the society as well as exceptional achievement in the field of nuclear medicine and molecular imaging.

• SNMMI Elects Vasken Dilsizian, MD, as Vice President–Elect During 2017 Annual Meeting

  Jun 12, 2017 — Vasken Dilsizian, MD, professor of radiology and medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and chief of the Division of Nuclear Medicine at the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore, Maryland, has assumed office as 2017-18 vice president–elect of the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI). SNMMI introduced a new slate of officers during its 2017 Annual Meeting, June 10-14, in Denver, Colorado.

• Targeted Photodynamic Therapy Shown Highly Effective Against Prostate Cancer

  Jun 11, 2017 — Researchers presenting a preclinical study at the 2017 Annual Meeting of the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) demonstrated the efficacy and optimal dose for targeted photodynamic therapy (tPDT) to treat prostate cancer before and during surgery.

• Neuro-Receptor PET Could Provide an Early Warning for Alcoholic Relapse

  Jun 11, 2017 — A study presented at the 2017 Annual Meeting of the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) reveals how brain receptors involved in the compulsion to drink, adapt to alcohol-dependency by reducing their bioavailability, but return to their normal availability after a modest period of detoxification. Receptor availability at the outset of sobriety could also serve as a predictor of long-term success.

• PET Imaging of Atherosclerosis Reveals Risk of Plaque Rupture

  Jun 11, 2017 — A new study shows that a hybrid molecular imaging system unites three imaging modalities to map the composition of dangerous arterial plaques before they rupture and induce a major cardiac event. The research was presented at the 2017 Annual Meeting of the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI).

• Joanna S. Fowler, PhD, Receives SNMMI 2017 Georg Charles de Hevesy Nuclear Pioneer Award

  Jun 11, 2017 — Joanna S. Fowler, PhD, senior chemist emeritus of the Department of Energy’s Brookhaven National Laboratory in New York; special volunteer at the National Institutes of Health; emeritus professor in the Department of Chemistry, Stony Brook University; and adjunct professor in the Psychiatry Department, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, has been named this year’s recipient of the Georg Charles de Hevesy Nuclear Pioneer Award for her contributions to nuclear medicine. Fowler was presented the award by the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) during its 2017 Annual Meeting, June 9-14 in Denver, Colorado.

• Martin G. Pomper, MD, PhD, Receives SNMMI 2017 Paul C. Aebersold Award for Outstanding Achievement in Basic Nuclear Medicine Science

  Jun 11, 2017 — Martin G. Pomper, MD, PhD, director of nuclear medicine and molecular imaging and professor in the Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland, has been named the 2017 recipient of the prestigious Paul C. Aebersold Award. Pomper was presented the award by the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) during its annual meeting, held June 10-14 in Denver, Colorado.

• New Grants for Traumatic Brain Injury Research Announced by Julian Bailes, MD, at SNMMI Annual Meeting

  Jun 11, 2017 — At the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) Annual Meeting, Julian E. Bailes, MD, a recognized leader in the field of neurosurgery and the impact of brain injury on brain function, announced new grant funding programs of up to $25 million for research on traumatic brain injury (TBI) and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).

• Diagnostic Radiation Exposure Safe for Children, Experts State

  Jun 7, 2017 — In an article published in the June 2017 issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine, researchers assert that exposure to medical imaging radiation not only doesn’t increase an adult person’s risk of getting cancer, it doesn’t increase a child’s risk. According to the authors, the long-held belief that even low doses of radiation, such as those received in diagnostic imaging, increase cancer risk is based on an inaccurate, 70-year-old hypothesis and leads to unnecessary fear and misdiagnoses.

• National Decision Support Company and the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging enter agreement for delivery of Appropriate Use Criteria

  Jun 6, 2017 — National Decision Support Company and the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging announced today that they have entered an agreement to make the SNMMI Imaging Appropriate Use Criteria available to referring physicians and other medical providers.

• PET/MR Shows Arterial CO2 as Potent Vasodilator for Cardiac Stress Testing

  Jun 5, 2017 — Using PET/MR imaging, a new international study featured in the June issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine demonstrates that increases in partial pressure of arterial carbon dioxide (PaCO2) can safely and efficiently widen blood vessels of the heart during stress tests to help determine heart function.

• Combined Optical and Molecular Imaging Could Guide Breast-Conserving Surgery

  Jun 1, 2017 — Breast-conserving surgery is the primary treatment for early-stage breast cancer, but more accurate techniques are needed to assess resection margins during surgery to avoid the need for follow-up surgeries. Now, in a first-in-human study, British researchers have provided a possible solution using Cerenkov luminescence imaging (CLI), which combines optical and molecular imaging. The study is covered in the featured article of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine’s June 2017 issue.

• The SNMMI Annual Meeting: Reaching New Heights in the Mile-High City

  May 18, 2017 — The Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging’s 2017 Annual Meeting will be held in Denver, Colorado, June 10-14. It will bring together more than 5,000 physicians, technologists, scientists and exhibitors from around the globe to share and learn about cutting-edge research, advance their knowledge through continuing education sessions, and network.

• SPECT/CT Combined with Fluorescence Imaging Detects Micrometastases

  May 10, 2017 — Researchers in The Netherlands have demonstrated that combining SPECT/CT and fluorescence imaging could help surgeons differentiate tumor tissue from normal tissue. The research is detailed in the featured basic science article of the May 2017 issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine.

• PET/CT Helps Predict Therapy Effectiveness in Pediatric Brain Tumors

  May 2, 2017 — In this first ever molecular drug-imaging study in children, researchers in The Netherlands used whole-body PET/CT scans to determine whether bevacizumab (Avastin) treatment of diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma in children is likely to be effective. The study is featured in the May 2017 issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine.

• SNMMI Publishes Appropriate Use Criteria for Ventilation/Perfusion Imaging in Pulmonary Embolism

  May 1, 2017 — SNMMI has published appropriate use criteria for ventilation/perfusion (V/Q) imaging in pulmonary embolism. This is the second in a series of new AUC developed by SNMMI in its role as a qualified provider-led entity (PLE) under the Medicare Appropriate Use Criteria program for advanced diagnostic imaging.

• PET Radiotracer Design for Monitoring Targeted Immunotherapy

  Apr 7, 2017 — In an article published in the April issue of “The Journal of Nuclear Medicine,” researchers at Stanford University in California provide a template for assessing new positron emission tomography (PET) radiotracers that can accurately identify molecules in cancer cells that prevent the immune system from attacking the cancer.

• SNMMI Publishes Appropriate Use Criteria for Bone Scintigraphy in Prostate and Breast Cancer

  Apr 6, 2017 — SNMMI has released a new AUC for bone scintigraphy in prostate and breast cancer. This is the first in a series of new AUC developed by SNMMI in its role as a Medicare qualified provider-led entity. Beginning January 1, 2018, all referring physicians or ordering professionals are required to consult appropriate use criteria using a clinical decision support mechanism before ordering any nuclear medicine study.

• Advanced FDG-PET Image Analysis Identifies Cell Mutations in Cancer Patients

  Apr 1, 2017 — Researchers have used positron emission tomography (PET) to successfully identify genetic cell mutations that can cause lung cancer. The research, published in the featured article of the April 2017 issue of “The Journal of Nuclear Medicine,” shows that an advanced image analysis technique, radiomics, can non-invasively identify underlying cell mutations in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

• Fluciclovine PET/CT Improves Radiotherapy Targeting for Recurrent Prostate Cancer

  Mar 6, 2017 — The featured clinical investigation article of the March 2017 issue of "The Journal of Nuclear Medicine" demonstrates that the PET radiotracer fluciclovine (fluorine-18; F-18) can help guide and monitor targeted treatment for recurrent prostate cancer, allowing for individualized, targeted therapy.

• New PET Radiotracer Identifies Inflammation in Life-Threatening Atherosclerosis

  Mar 1, 2017 — In the featured article of the March 2017 issue of "The Journal of Nuclear Medicine," researchers demonstrate that a new positron emission tomography (PET) radiotracer, gallium-68 (Ga-68)-pentixafor, can quickly and non-invasively identify life-threatening atherosclerotic plaques. The tracer binds to the CXCR4 receptor on inflammatory cells present in atherosclerotic plaques—making it possible to find and treat atherosclerosis early.

• Radiotargeted Therapy with SST2 Antagonists Could Combat Multiple Human Cancers

  Feb 6, 2017 — A study published in the February issue of "The Journal of Nuclear Medicine" demonstrates the potential of extending peptide receptor radionuclide therapy targeting the somatostatin receptor to other types of malignancies beyond neuroendocrine tumors.

• New Type of PET Imaging Identifies Primary and Metastatic Prostate Cancer

  Feb 1, 2017 — In the featured article from the February 2017 issue of "The Journal of Nuclear Medicine," researchers document the first-in-human application of a new imaging agent to help find prostate cancer in both early and advanced stages and plan treatment. The study indicates that the new agent—a PET radiotracer—is both safe and effective.

• Fear of Diagnostic Low-dose Radiation Exposure Is Overstated, Experts Assert

  Jan 9, 2017 — In an article published in the January 2017 issue of "The Journal of Nuclear Medicine," researchers assert that exposure to medical radiation does not increase a person’s risk of getting cancer.

• New Therapeutic Agent Proves More Effective Treatment for Advanced Prostate Cancer

  Jan 5, 2017 — A German multicenter study, initiated by the German Society of Nuclear Medicine, demonstrates that lutetium-177 (Lu-177)-labeled PSMA-617 is a promising new therapeutic agent for radioligand therapy (RLT) of patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). The study is published in the January 2017 issue of "The Journal of Nuclear Medicine" and is the featured article.

• Johannes Czernin, MD, Named Editor-in-Chief for "The Journal of Nuclear Medicine"

  Jan 3, 2017 — Johannes Czernin, MD, has assumed leadership of "The Journal of Nuclear Medicine" (JNM), the educational flagship publication of the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI). Czernin is a professor of molecular and medical pharmacology and the chief of the Ahmanson Translational Imaging Division at the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).

• 3D-Printed Kidney Phantoms Aid Nuclear Medicine Dosing Calibration

  Dec 5, 2016 — In nuclear medicine, the goal is to keep radiation exposure at a minimum, while obtaining quality images. Optimal dosing for individual patients can be difficult to determine. That’s where 3D-printed organ models of varying size and shape could be of great use. In a study reported in the December issue of "The Journal of Nuclear Medicine," researchers at the University of Würzburg in Germany focused on kidneys to demonstrate that low-cost 3D printing techniques can be used for quantitative SPECT/CT imaging.

• Novel Anti-PSMA Imaging Agent Quickly Identifies Prostate Cancer Lesions

  Dec 2, 2016 — New research demonstrates that a novel imaging agent can quickly and accurately detect metastasis of prostate cancer, even in areas where detection has previously been difficult. Published in the December issue of "The Journal of Nuclear Medicine," the Phase 1 dose-escalation study of Zr-89-desferrioxamine-IAB2M (Zr-89-Df-IAB2M), an anti-PSMA minibody, in patients with metastatic prostate cancer shows its effectiveness in targeting both bone and soft tissue lesions.

• ASNC, IAC and SNMMI Call for Field to Focus on Radiation Dose Optimization in Nuclear Cardiology

  Nov 17, 2016 — Working in concert, the American Society of Nuclear Cardiology (ASNC), the Intersocietal Accreditation Commission (IAC)’s Nuclear/PET accreditation division and the Society of Nuclear Medicine in Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) are mandating optimized radiation doses in conjunction with the nuclear cardiology studies (i.e., myocardial perfusion imaging) performed throughout the United States and beyond.

• PET Imaging Visualizes Hard-to-Diagnose Cardiac Amyloidosis

  Nov 1, 2016 — Researchers at Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane, Australia, have demonstrated that cardiac amyloidosis (abnormal deposits of proteins in the heart), which is notoriously difficult to diagnose, can be visualized noninvasively with positron emission tomography (PET) using the radiotracer fluorine-18 (F-18)-florbetaben. The study is published in the November issue of "The Journal of Nuclear Medicine."

• Optical and PET/CT Probes Detect Early Signs of Atherosclerosis

  Oct 20, 2016 — Researchers at Stanford University have demonstrated for the first time the use of a dual optical and PET/CT activity-based probe, which images vascular inflammation, to detect atherosclerotic plaques. The study is published in the October issue of "The Journal of Nuclear Medicine."