© Institut Jules Bordet – Magdalena Mileva, MD, Department of Nuclear Medicine, ­Institut Jules Bordet, Hôpital Universitaire de Bruxelles, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium

Dear Colleagues,

The 36^th annual congress of the European Association of Nuclear Medicine (EANM) was held in Vienna, Austria, and virtually from 9^th to 13^th 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.

The first chapter of this memo ­inOncology report sets the stage for groundbreaking new developments in the diagnosis of neuroendocrine ­tumors (NETs) and spotlights inno­vative approaches utilizing SSTR-anta­gonists such as ⁶⁸Ga-DATA^5m-LMA, [¹⁸F]-AlF-NOTA-LM3, [⁶⁸Ga]Ga-­DATA^5m-LM4 or [^99mTc]Tc-­TECANT 1 radiotracers.

Subsequently, the latest advancements in NETs are highlighted with emphasis on combining radioligand therapy with standard treatments in patients with progressive advanced non-resectable gastroenteropancreatic NETs. Moreover, the utility of ¹⁷⁷Lu-­DOTATATE following peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT) in patients with bronchopulmonary neuroendocrine neoplasms and a personalized PRRT-regime using tailored ¹⁷⁷Lu-­DOTATATE activity in patients with overexpressing SSTR NETs are outlined.

The section on NET theranostics overviews the interim data of the first-in-class alpha-emitting radiopharmaceutical ²²⁵Ac-DOTATATE, data gleaned from a human pilot study with ²¹²Pb-VMT-α-NET, as well as the promising prospects of personalized dosimetry-based PRRT, combining mixed doses of [¹⁷⁷Lu]Lu- and [⁹⁰Y]Y-DOTATATE. It further delves deeper into assessing the predictive potential of full-body longitudinal somatostatin receptor imaging features for predicting clinical outcomes in metastatic NET patients receiving PRRT.

Within the realm of prostate cancer, we witness the transformative potential of non-invasive nuclear medicine techniques, offering both diagnostic and targeted therapeutic solutions. Thus, this report accentuates the early prediction of response to ¹⁷⁷Lu-PSMA therapy with ⁶⁸Ga-PSMA or the new class of ¹⁸F-rhPSMA-7.3 PET/CT. Additionally, interim data on the utility of ¹⁸F-­PSMA-­1007 as a surrogate marker for ¹⁷⁷Lu-PSMA imaging and treatment ­effectiveness are summarized.

Furthermore, this special issue encompasses the encouraging advances in PSMA-based therapy in metastatic castration resistant prostate cancer, ­including insights from the phase III ­ProstACT GLOBAL study, findings from the phase II IRST-185.03, an overview of the prospective national Swiss registry assessing ¹⁷⁷Lu-PSMA for imaging and therapy, as well as a compilation of ­results from different combinations of ²²⁵Ac-TAT/¹⁷⁷Lu-PSMA-I&T.

Finally, the section regarding ­further benefits of PET imaging in prostate cancer covers results from the ­VISION and the LuTectomy trial, while further discussing the implementation of PSMA-PET imaging after prostate cancer salvage radiotherapy in recurrent or persistent prostate cancer ­patients after surgery.

Once again, the EANM congress was not only a platform for exchanging groundbreaking scientific insights but also continued to bolster our growth as a specialist community. With the data presented, it is needless to say that the present of nuclear medicine is bright, and that the future holds even greater promise.

I hope you enjoy reading this ­special issue!