Baris Turkbey, MD, presented “Novel Molecular Tracers for Prostate Imaging” during the 2023 Frontiers in Oncologic Prostate Care and Ablative Local Therapy symposium on November 10, 2023, in Chicago, Illinois.
How to cite: Turkbey, Baris. “Novel Molecular Tracers for Prostate Imaging.” November, 2023. Accessed Aug 2024. https://grandroundsinurology.com/novel-molecular-tracers-for-prostate-imaging/
Novel Molecular Tracers for Prostate Imaging – Summary
Ismail Baris Turkbey, MD, Senior Clinician, Molecular Imaging Branch (MIB), National Cancer Institute (NCI), National Institutes for Health (NIH) discusses novel molecular tracers for prostate imaging. Dr. Turkbey begins by listing and describing various molecular tracers used with positron emission tomography (PET) imaging of the prostate, including tracers used historically, explaining what each targets (e.g. glucose, cell membrane synthesis). Dr. Turkbey summarizes past trials of various tracers that fell short of prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) in identifying localized disease.
He calls the last few years “exciting” in terms of developments in molecular imaging and several PET tracers targeting PSMA. Dr. Turkbey outlines 68Ga-PSMA-11, 18F-DCFPYL, and 18F-rhPSMA-7.3 and illustrates their use with patient case examples whereby these PSMA tracers helped identify local disease and guide focal therapies. He lists the various tracers available and explains that each has advantages and disadvantages and it depends on the biology to be profiled. Dr. Turkbey reiterates that the strongest evidence for identifying and staging localized disease is PSMA PET CT scans which are now available.
Frontiers in Oncologic Prostate Care and Ablative Local Therapy (FOCAL) is an outstanding program on prostate imaging, transperineal interventions, and ablative treatments for prostate cancer and benign prostatic hyperplasia. Bringing together community-based, academic, and industry partners, FOCAL offers lectures by world-renowned faculty and hands-on training workshops on in-office transperineal interventions, fusion-guided prostate ablation and state-of-the-art BPH management with novel technologies.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dr. Turkbey obtained his medical degree from Hacettepe University in Ankara, Turkey in 2003. He completed his residency in Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology at Hacettepe University. He joined Molecular Imaging Branch (MIB), National Cancer Institute, NIH in 2007. His main research areas are imaging of prostate cancer (multiparametric MRI, PET CT), image guided biopsy and treatment techniques (focal therapy, surgery and radiation therapy) for prostate cancer and artificial intelligence. Dr. Turkbey is a member of Prostate Imaging Reporting & Data System (PI-RADS) Steering Committee. He is the Head of the Magnetic Resonance Imaging section in MIB and the Artificial Intelligence Resource (external link) in MIB.
