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Exploring the efficacy of FAPI PET/CT in the diagnosis and treatment management of colorectal cancer: a comprehensive literature review and initial experience

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Abstract

FAPI PET/CT, an innovative medical imaging technique, has emerged as a promising method to target fibroblast activation protein (FAP). This novel approach offers numerous benefits, such as increased tumor absorption and reduced background noise. As a result, FAPI PET/CT images demonstrate a favorable ratio of tumor signal to background, allowing for precise tumor staging, characterization, and detection. Given the heightened expression of FAP in colorectal cancer (CRC), FAPI PET/CT has the potential to revolutionize CRC staging, restaging, and monitoring, as well as enhance treatment management and improve patient prognosis. This comprehensive review aims to provide a detailed overview of the current applications of FAPI PET/CT in CRC, while also proposing future research directions, specifically in comparison to the standard FDG PET imaging modality.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Cancer Research Center, RAZAVI Hospital, Imam Reza International University, Mashhad, Iran

    Habibollah Dadgar & Nasim Norouzbeigi

  2. Department of Nuclear Medicine, Molecular Imaging, and Theranostics, School of Medicine, The Persian Gulf Nuclear Medicine Research Center, Bushehr Medical University Hospital, Bushehr University of Medical Sciences, Bushehr, Iran

    Esmail Jafari & Majid Assadi

  3. Dubai Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging Center-Dubai Academic Health Corporation—DAHC, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

    Batool Al-balooshi

  4. Department of Nuclear Medicine, King Hussein Cancer Center, Amman, Jordan

    Akram Al-Ibraheem

  5. Division of Nuclear Medicine/Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan

    Akram Al-Ibraheem

  6. Diagnostic Clinical Radiology Department, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon

    Mohamad Haidar

  7. PET-CT Department at Misr Radiology Center, Heliopolis, Egypt

    Yehia Omar

  8. Nuclear Medicine Department, Kuwait Cancer Control Center, Kuwait City, Kuwait

    Abdulredha A. Esmail

  9. Jaber Alahmad Center of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Kuwait City, Kuwait

    Fahad Marafi

  10. Department of Nuclear Medicine Sultan Qaboos Comprehensive Cancer Care and Research Center (SQCCCRC), Seeb, Oman

    Sharjeel Usmani

  11. Nuclear Medicine Unit, St. Salvatore Hospital, 67100, L’Aquila, Italy

    Andrea Cimini

  12. Division of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Department of Medical Imaging, Geneva University Hospital, CH-1211, Geneva 4, Switzerland

    Hossein Arabi

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  1. Habibollah Dadgar
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Dadgar, H., Norouzbeigi, N., Jafari, E. et al. Exploring the efficacy of FAPI PET/CT in the diagnosis and treatment management of colorectal cancer: a comprehensive literature review and initial experience. Clin Transl Imaging (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40336-023-00609-w

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