EANM 2023 – Vienna, Austria
Lecture Board: Burak Demir, MD; Phillip Kuo, MD, PhD, FACR; Dharmender Malik, MD; Irene Marini, MD; Magdalena Mileva, MD; Mercedes Mitjavila Casanovas, MD; Marta Opalińska, MD, PhD; Constantinos Zamboglou, MD
Medical Writer: Florence Boulmé, PhD; Christine Rous, PhD
Publishing Editor: Anna Fenzl, PhD
Preface – EANM 2023
Dear Colleagues, The 36th annual congress of the European Association of Nuclear Medicine (EANM) was held in Vienna, Austria, and virtually from 9th to 13th September. As always, the very much-anticipated event brought more than 7,600 leading experts from across the globe together to learn and discuss the groundbreaking updates and scientific advancements in nuclear medicine, which were covered in nearly 2,000 oral presentations and e-posters in 156 sessions.
New developments in the diagnosis of neuroendocrine tumors
Neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs) comprise a rare group of heterogenous neoplasms that originate from cells with a neuroendocrine phenotype and can arise in almost every organ or region of the body [1]. They display a variable biological behavior; in fact, in some patients the disease may be stable for years, whereas in others, it might be very aggressive [2].
Recent progress in the treatment of neuroendocrine tumors
Capecitabine plus temozolomide (CAPTEM) is widely used for the treatment of advanced, unresectable, and progressive neuroendocrine tumors (NETs). However, data are limited regarding its association with radioligand therapy (RLT)/peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT).
Theranostics: recent developments in neuroendocrine tumors
RYZ101 (225Ac-DOTATATE) is a first-in-class alpha-emitting radiopharmaceutical being developed for somatostatin receptor-2-expressing (SSTR2+) solid tumors. The ongoing phase 1b/3 ACTION-1 trial (NCT05477576) is currently comparing RYZ101 with standard therapy in patients with well-differentiated gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (GEP-NETs) who have progressed after 177Lu-labelled somatostatin analogue (SSA) therapy.
Early prediction of the response to 177Lu-PSMA therapy in metastatic prostate cancer
PSMA (prostate-specific membrane antigen) is a glycoprotein highly expressed on the surface of malignant prostate tumor cells. Thus, it represents a suitable target for both imaging and therapy of prostate cancer (PCa). In fact, PSMA ligands are widely used either as tracers for positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) imaging or as therapeutic agents comprising PSMA-directed radionuclide therapy and immunotherapy [1].
Advances in PSMA-based immunotherapy in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer
Metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) has a very bad prognosis with most patients dying within two years of diagnosis [1]. Available therapies for mCRPC are often associated with poor tissue selectivity, and side effects including high systemic toxicity and drug resistance.
Further benefits of PET imaging in prostate cancer
Prostate cancer was the most frequently diagnosed cancer in men in 112 countries around the world in 2020, with 1.4 million newly diagnosed cases leading to more than 375,000 deaths [1]. The open-label, multi-center, randomized phase 3 VISION study (NCT03511664) demonstrated the efficacy and safety of 177Lu-PSMA-617 targeted radioligand therapy in patients with progressive prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA)-positive metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) [2].