Because treatment for prostate cancer is highly individualized, molecular imaging technologies are helping to improve the ways in which prostate cancer is diagnosed and treated. Molecular imaging, a field where a radiotracer is used as the imaging agent, is a useful tool for both detecting and treating prostate cancer. There are several radiotracers that are used to image patients with prostate cancer. These include fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG), sodium fluoride (NaF), fluciclovine, choline and agents that target prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA).
PSMA is a transmembrane protein that’s overexpressed in prostate cancer. Because of its external location on the surface of prostate cells, it is easily accessible to researchers targeting it with molecules for the purpose of prostate imaging or delivery therapies. The goal of a PSMA (positron-emission tomography) PET is to locate…
