Speaker
Garibaldi Franco
(Italian Institute of Health and INFN - Roma1, gr. Sanita')
Description
Prostate cancer is the most frequently occurring cancer in men. Considerable improvements have been
implemented in the diagnosis with the Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) technique, and with nuclear
medicine techniques of scintigraphy and Positron Emission Tomography (PET). Unfortunately, the presently
used standard clinical nuclear medicine imagers for single gamma imaging (gamma cameras) and for positron
prostate imaging (PET scanners) are not optimized for the task. The sensitivity, spatial resolution and lesion
contrast attained are inferior to what can be potentially achievable with optimized dedicated prostate imagers
and procedures.
Following the successful example of a Conference organized in Rome in 2001 on breast imaging, a
Symposium took place in Rome (December 6-7) to investigate what kind of complementary value can be
provided by dedicated nuclear medicine molecular imaging techniques to the MRI or ultrasound imaging of
prostate which is primarily focusing on the structural information, while the functional metabolic or molecular
imaging attained with nuclear medicine modalities can offer adjunct information about the stage of the
disease and can be of potential important assistance during the therapy (chemo and radio) and follow-up
phases of the disease.
New technologies, mainly involving gamma ray detection and high resolution scintigraphy are being studied
to overcome limitations of the standard single gamma imaging. For example, Compton imaging of prostate
offering in principle high efficiency of signal detection from the uptake in this organ, is easier to introduce
than Compton imaging of larger organs. New radiopharmaceuticals are being studied to improve detection
sensitivity of single gamma and PET modalities and to detect in-vivo biological characteristics of prostate
cancer, in order to guide medical treatment of the disease. Only combined advances in instrumentation,
radiopharmaceuticals, and in imaging and treatment procedures will lead to much better diagnosis and
treatment of prostate cancer and ultimately will save many lives.
During the Symposium the knowledge status of prostate cancer biology, as well as the methods of prostate
cancer diagnosis were reviewed. The limitations of presently utilized imaging techniques (structural and
functional) in prostate cancer screening, detection, and treatment were critically reviewed. The major
therapeutical techniques (surgical, medical as well as radioterapeutical) were discussed. A satellite Technical
Workshop on New Nuclear Medicine Detectors For Imaging Prostate Cancer took place at the end of the
Symposium to review the most recent progress in the radionuclide imaging detector technologies.
Author
Garibaldi Franco
(Italian Institute of Health and INFN - Roma1, gr. Sanita')