Understanding the Netspot Scan

Understanding the Netspot Scan A Netspot scan is a novel PET tracer used to detect neuroendocrine tumors (NETs), even the smallest lesions better than any other imaging. Neuroendocrine tumors are quite small and hard to find in their early stages. They can grow anywhere in the body, including the pancreas, stomach, lungs, intestines.

Neuroendocrine tumors have cells with many receptors for somatostatin hormone, which regulates the endocrine system.

A Gallium 68-Dotatate scan, the Netspot scan binds to somatostatin receptors to highlight the tumor. It is an upgraded tool that offers excellent specificity in results. It is very accurate for staging cancer and detecting lesions in bones and other body organs.

A Netspot scan is a short and fast procedure that emits low radiation. Since it is used with PET, the images are high resolution and clear, enabling physicians to identify tiny lesions.

It detects gallium-68 dotatate. The radioactivity then appears on the scan, which has both PET and CT imaging. When a patient is injected with gallium-68 dotatate, it mimics somatostatin and goes to the tumors. The dotatate will then identify the number of tumors present, their size, and places in the body they might have spread to.

Improved images help oncologists determine the best treatment for patients. Also, identifying NETs enables patients to receive a new procedure known as Peptide Receptor Radionuclide Therapy (PRRT), which uses hormone targeted radiation to find and destroy cancer cells.

Standard PET scans do not detect carcinoid tumors effectively since they use glucose, which is not metabolized rapidly by the NETs. Netspot scan offers neuroendocrine tumor patients superior accuracy and sensitivity and saves them from futile surgeries. It has been used in clinical studies and helped to change the management decisions for patients.

Netspot was developed to prepare gallium Ga 68 dotatate for localizing somatostatin receptor-positive neuroendocrine tumors using PET. Doctors use Netspot PET to diagnose neuroendocrine tumors, determine the best treatment options, plan patients' surgery, and monitor cancer for recurrence.