The Role of 68Ga-DOTATATE PET/CT in Suspected Neuroendocrine Tumors

In patients with suspected but yet not localized neuroendocrine tumors (NETs), early diagnosis or reliable exclusion is crucial for optimal individual prognosis and therapy. Despite recourse to several imaging modalities, the definite diagnosis of NET can be challenging. Therefore, we tested 68Ga-DOTATATE PET/CT as a tool for improved diagnosis in a cohort of patients with sus-pected, nonlocalized NET. Methods: 68Ga-DOTATATE PET/CT recordings were obtained in 104 consecutive patients meeting at least one of the following criteria: clinical suspicion of NET (n 5 70), elevated blood levels of tumor markers (n 5 49), and image-based suspicion of NET (n 5 53). The presence of NET was validated by histopathology (n 5 49) or clinical follow-up of 1076 59 wk (n5 55). Results: In 36 of 104 patients (35%), NET was histologically verified, most frequently located in the small bowel (10/36), pancreas (8/36), lung (5/36), and stomach (2/36)