May 11, 2009 - The Academy of Molecular Imaging (AMI) is pleased to announce that its randomized, multicenter trial investigating the use of 18F-sodium fluoride PET/CT (18F-NaF) to detect bony metastases has enrolled its first 10 patients. This study compares conventional planar 99mTc-MDP bone imaging with 18F-NaF PET/CT in patients with breast, prostate and non-small cell lung cancers.
The protocol was developed in conjunction with the FDA and CMS, and calls for data on more than five hundred patients. The University of California-Los Angeles Medical Center, the VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare Systems and Scottsdale Medical Imaging have all begun imaging patients.
“This exciting development is the culmination of many months’ work and an extraordinary level of collaboration,” reported Johannes Czernin, M.D., the principal investigator for the study. “While AMI is the IND holder, this important research is a result of cooperative efforts between 13 clinical sites, AMI and the molecular imaging industry. Siemens/PETNET Solutions furnished these initial 18F-NaF doses and GE Healthcare and IBA Molecular will also provide doses in the future.”
Cancer patients undergo more than 2 million planar 99mTc-MDP scans each year to determine whether the cancer has spread to their bones. 18F-NaF PET/CT bone scanning may have advantages over this conventional method because it is able to find smaller metastases and differentiate more accurately between cancerous and non-cancerous conditions.
“Cancer patients may receive better and more timely treatment if we are able to improve our ability to detect the spread of their disease earlier and more accurately,” said Ed Coleman, M.D., of Duke University Medical Center, which along with St. Louis University Hospital expects to begin enrolling participants soon. “This clinical trial is an example of the PET imaging community’s commitment to improve treatment and patient outcomes using scientifically rigorous research methods and analyses.”
Eight other sites are expected to participate upon IRB approval: Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Stanford University Medical Center, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Washington University Medical Center, University of Utah Health Sciences Center, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, MD Anderson Cancer Center and the University of Zurich.
For more information: www.ami-imaging.org
April 23, 2024 
