Advances in PET/CT for Predicting Cancer Outcomes

A special issue of Cancers (ISSN 2072-6694). This special issue belongs to the section "Methods and Technologies Development".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2026 | Viewed by 1224

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Division of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Radiology, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
Interests: nuclear medicine; radiology
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to invite you to contribute to this new Special Issue focused on “Advances in PET/CT for Predicting Cancer Outcomes”. Cancer remains one of the leading causes of death globally, and accurate outcome prediction plays a critical role in optimizing oncologic management. Over the past two decades, PET imaging has made a significant impact by offering a whole-body assessment of viable tumor burden, which is essential for prognosis, therapy planning, and follow-up.

Recent innovations in PET/CT—such as novel target-specific radiotracers and enhanced imaging resolution—have further strengthened its role in clinical oncology, as reflected in NCCN guidelines across various cancer types. Despite these advancements, ongoing research is needed to refine the use of PET/CT in the context of emerging treatments like immunotherapy and PSMA-targeted radioligand therapy. On a molecular level, a deeper understanding of radiotracer uptake mechanisms is also crucial for clinical translation.

This Special Issue will spotlight the evolving role of PET/CT in cancer outcome prediction, with an emphasis on radiomics, theranostic radionuclide pairs, and machine learning approaches. We also welcome submissions exploring PET applications in novel therapeutic settings such as CAR T-cell therapy, as well as its use in rare tumor types.

You may choose our Joint Special Issue in Current Oncology.

Dr. Ahmad Shariftabrizi
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • FDG PET/CT
  • PSMA PET/CT
  • dotatate PET/CT
  • tumor heterogeneity
  • radiomics
  • CAR T-cell therapy
  • rare tumors
  • radiogenomics
  • immunotherapy
  • targeted therapy
  • PET physics
  • radiotracer metabolism

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Review

24 pages, 3941 KB  
Review
PET/CT and Paraneoplastic Syndromes: A Comprehensive Review
by Motaz Daraghma, Yashant Aswani, Sanchay Jain, Riccardo Laudicella, Ali Gholamrezanezhad, Yusuf Menda and Ahmad Shariftabrizi
Cancers 2025, 17(16), 2637; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers17162637 - 13 Aug 2025
Viewed by 1129
Abstract
Paraneoplastic syndromes (PNSs) are pathologic conditions produced by neoplasms not attributable to tumor invasion or metastasis. The clinical manifestations of PNSs can precede the diagnosis; these symptoms may serve as early indicators of underlying malignancy. Standard imaging modalities, such as computed tomography (CT) [...] Read more.
Paraneoplastic syndromes (PNSs) are pathologic conditions produced by neoplasms not attributable to tumor invasion or metastasis. The clinical manifestations of PNSs can precede the diagnosis; these symptoms may serve as early indicators of underlying malignancy. Standard imaging modalities, such as computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), have limited sensitivity in detecting small or early-stage PNS-associated tumors. FDG PET/CT identifies hypermetabolic lesions suggestive of malignancy and, therefore, facilitates early diagnosis, refined treatment planning, and potentially prolonged patient survival. This review evaluates the diagnostic accuracy, clinical utility, and emerging role of FDG PET/CT in detecting occult malignancies. Syndrome-targeted applications discussed include limbic encephalitis, cerebellar degeneration, Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome, Cushing’s syndrome, hypercalcemia of malignancy, dermatomyositis, and tumor-induced osteomalacia. In addition, the limitations of FDG PET/CT, including false-positive or false-negative findings, are reviewed, while newer PET tracers, like 68Ga-DOTATATE, are also highlighted. Ultimately, FDG PET/CT has transformed clinical decision-making, enabling more timely interventions and improved patient management in the context of PNSs. Future directions in imaging, including PET/MRI and ongoing refinements in tracer design, promise to further enhance diagnostic precision, and therapeutic outcomes are also discussed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in PET/CT for Predicting Cancer Outcomes)
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