Emerging PET Tracer Shows Promise in Revolutionizing HCC Detection
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the sixth most common cancer globally, is often diagnosed at an advanced stage. However, preliminary findings indicate that a novel positron emission tomography (PET) agent could support earlier detection.
In a recent pilot study presented at the Society for Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) conference, researchers investigated a glypican-3 (GPC3)-targeted PET tracer, 68Ga-aGPC3-scFv, in a cohort of 36 patients with suspected HCC who underwent PET/MRI scanning.
The researchers found that 68Ga-aGPC3-scFv offered a 91.7 percent sensitivity and an 83.3 percent specificity for HCC. The PET tracer also successfully detected tumors as small as one centimeter, according to the study authors.
Mengting Li, Ph.D., who led the study and is an attending physician at the Nuclear Medicine Department of Wuhan Union Hospital in Wuhan, China, stated, “While current imaging and diagnosis of HCC primarily depend on contrast-enhanced CT or MRI to identify structural changes, PET imaging has the potential to reveal early molecular alterations that precede visible anatomical shifts.”
“GPC3-targeted immunoPET provides clearer, more accurate imaging with high tumor-to-background contrast, enabling earlier diagnosis and better staging,” said Xiaoli Lan, M.D., Ph.D., a co-author of the study and chairwoman of the Department of Nuclear Medicine at Wuhan Union Hospital. “For patients, this could mean life-saving interventions at earlier stages, improved treatment planning, and ultimately, higher survival rates.”