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Clinical Trials/NCT07284589
NCT07284589RecruitingPhase 2

Evaluation of Ultralow Dose PET Imaging for Detecting SSTR2 Radiotracer Uptake

Akiva Mintz1 site in 1 country200 target enrollmentStarted: December 11, 2025Last updated:
Interventions

Trial Snapshot

Phase
Phase 2
Status
Recruiting
Sponsor
Enrollment
200
Locations
1
Primary Endpoint
Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR)

Study Overview

Brief Summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate an investigational ultralow dose positron emission tomography (PET) imaging technique for neuroendocrine tumor detection and monitoring. The main question it aims to answer is:

Can the investigators optimize the timing, scan duration, and image reconstruction to reduce the radiation dose 10-100 fold of the current clinical standard? Participants will be injected with a radioactive tracer that binds to a tumor specific protein called somatostatin receptor 2 (SSTR2) and be imaged on a new type of high sensitivity PET scanner for up to 3 hours

Detailed Description

This research study aims to evaluate an investigational ultralow dose PET imaging technique for neuroendocrine tumor detection and monitoring. "Investigational" means that the procedure or drug being studied is not yet approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the specific use being tested in this research. The PET imaging technique used in this study is considered investigational because it is being tested at an ultralow radiation dose that has not yet been approved for clinical use. The radiotracer, Gallium-68 (68Ga)-Dotatate, is FDA-approved for detecting neuroendocrine cancer at standard doses.

68Ga-Dotatate is often found to be taken up at higher levels in in neuroendocrine tumors. In this study, investigators will use a very small amount of this tracer (less than 1/20th of the standard dose) along with advanced PET imaging technology to see if it is possible to create clear images while using much less radiation. This study aims to develop a safer imaging technique that could potentially be used more frequently for screening and treatment response.

Investigators will enroll individuals with and without neuroendocrine tumors to evaluate how ultralow dose PET imaging detects radiotracer uptake in different type of tissue.

Approximately 200 people will be enrolled in this study at the Nuclear Imaging Institute.

Study Design

Study Type
Interventional
Allocation
Na
Intervention Model
Single Group
Primary Purpose
Diagnostic
Masking
None

Eligibility Criteria

Ages
18 Years to 120 Years (Adult, Older Adult)
Sex
All
Accepts Healthy Volunteers
Yes

Inclusion Criteria

  • Age ≥18 years.
  • Ability to provide informed consent and comply with study procedures.
  • For female participants: Must not be pregnant or breastfeeding; Negative pregnancy test required for women of childbearing potential.

Exclusion Criteria

  • Participants who have exceeded NRC regulation for annual radiation exposure from prior research-related scans, including this study (50 millisievert [mSv] total).
  • More than four prior enrollments in this study.
  • Participants with severe claustrophobia, chronic pain, or musculoskeletal conditions that prevent completion of the PET scan
  • Medication & Prior Treatment Exclusions: SSTR targeted therapies
  • Pregnant or breastfeeding individuals (negative pregnancy test required)
  • Inability to provide informed consent
  • Any condition that, in the investigator's judgment, may compromise participant safety or study integrity.

Arms & Interventions

Ultralow dose 68Ga-DOTATATE imaging group

Other

Participants will be enrolled for an ultralow dose PET scan to evaluate image quality and optimize timing and reconstruction after reducing radiation doses 10-100 fold. Participants will be injected with a very small amount of radiotracer and imaged on a PET scanner for up to 3 hours

Intervention: 68Ga-Dotatate (Drug)

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR)

Time Frame: Evaluated annually (once per year), based on pooled images acquired during the preceding 12-month period.

Measurement of signal-to-noise ratio for image quality assessment across different scan durations, reconstruction techniques, and artificial intelligence (AI)-enhanced image reconstructions. Unit of Measure: SNR (unitless, numeric ratio)

Contrast-to-Noise Ratio (CNR)

Time Frame: Time Frame: Evaluated annually (once per year), based on pooled images acquired during the preceding 12-month period.

Measurement of contrast-to-noise ratio for image quality assessment across different scan durations, reconstruction techniques, and AI-enhanced image reconstructions. Unit of Measure: CNR (unitless, numeric ratio)

Coefficient of Variation (COV)

Time Frame: Evaluated annually (once per year), based on pooled images acquired during the preceding 12-month period.

Measurement of the coefficient of variation in selected regions for evaluating image consistency across different scan durations, reconstruction techniques, and AI-enhanced image reconstructions. Unit of Measure: Percentage (%)

Spatial Resolution (Full Width at Half Maximum - FWHM)

Time Frame: Evaluated annually (once per year), based on pooled images acquired during the preceding 12-month period.

Assessment of spatial resolution using full width at half maximum (FWHM) across different scan durations, reconstruction techniques, and AI-enhanced image reconstructions. Unit of Measure: Millimeters (mm)

Target-to-Background Ratio (TBR)

Time Frame: Evaluated annually (once per year), based on pooled images acquired during the preceding 12-month period.

Assessment of target-to-background ratio for evaluating SSTR2-expressing tissue contrast across different scan durations, reconstruction techniques, and AI-enhanced image reconstructions. Unit of Measure: Ratio (unitless numeric ratio)

Qualitative Image Quality Score (Likert Scale)

Time Frame: Evaluated annually (once per year), based on pooled images acquired during the preceding 12-month period.

Independent qualitative evaluation of overall image quality, lesion detectability, image noise, and artifacts by nuclear medicine physicians, assessed using a 5-point Likert scale. Unit of Measure: Score on Likert Scale (1-5; 1 = worst, 5 = best)

Inter-reader Agreement (Weighted Kappa Statistics)

Time Frame: Evaluated annually (once per year), based on pooled images acquired during the preceding 12-month period.

Measurement of agreement among readers evaluating qualitative image quality scores, analyzed using weighted kappa statistics. Unit of Measure: Weighted kappa statistic (numeric value ranging from 0 to 1, 0 = no agreement, 1 = perfect agreement)

Secondary Outcomes

No secondary outcomes reported

Investigators

Sponsor
Akiva Mintz
Sponsor Class
Other
Responsible Party
Sponsor Investigator
Principal Investigator

Akiva Mintz

Executive Director

Nuclear Imaging Institute

Study Sites (1)

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