Molecular Imaging World Summit 2026: LAFOV PET/CT, ImmunoPET, and Theranostics Redefine Diagnostic Precision
Key Insights
The Molecular Imaging World Summit 2026 in Copenhagen highlighted long axial field-of-view (LAFOV) PET/CT scanners as transformative for whole-body perfusion imaging and systemic disease evaluation across cancer, cardiovascular, and neurodegenerative conditions.
ImmunoPET with LAFOV scanners unlocks unprecedented opportunities for personalized cancer therapies by targeting both tumor antigens and immune cells, according to Dr. Erik Aarntzen of University Medical Center Groningen.
PET/MRI is emerging as the platform of choice for neuromolecular imaging, enabling simultaneous acquisition of molecular and multiparametric structural data with significantly reduced radiation exposure.
Copenhagen, a city already immortalized in the annals of physics through the Copenhagen interpretation of quantum mechanics, served as the fitting backdrop for the Molecular Imaging World Summit 2026. The opening keynote, delivered by a Danish nuclear medicine physician and professor, traced the city's deep roots in nuclear medicine back to George de Hevesy (search), the chemist who discovered the indicator principle during his time in Copenhagen in the 1920s and 1930s. Hevesy's Nobel Prize-winning work on isotopes as tracers laid the conceptual foundation for today's molecular imaging, setting the stage for a summit that spanned the latest in PET/CT, SPECT/CT, theranostics, and emerging tracer technologies.
LAFOV Scanners Take Center Stage
Long axial field-of-view (LAFOV) PET/CT scanners dominated discussions across multiple sessions on Friday, April 17. Presenters emphasized the technology's capacity for whole-body perfusion imaging, a capability that enables clinicians to evaluate disease systemically rather than in relation to a single organ. This has profound implications across therapeutic areas. In cardiovascular medicine, LAFOV scanning can simultaneously image cardiac perfusion and reveal how heart disease affects distant organs such as the brain. In oncology, high-sensitivity PET/CT scans can diagnose cancers and detect recurrences without delay.
Dr. Erik Aarntzen, nuclear medicine physician at University Medical Center Groningen, highlighted the synergy between LAFOV and immunoPET: "Long axial field-of-view (LAFOV) scanners unlock unprecedented opportunities for immunoPET." He explained that imaging with targeted radionuclides, including immunoPET, can help characterize individual tumors more comprehensively, potentially paving the way toward more personalized cancer therapies. The aspirational goal, presenters noted, is to target not only tumor antigens but also immune cells, yielding a more complete picture of tissue-level biology.
PET/MRI and the Shifting Landscape of Neuromolecular Imaging
Brain neuropsychiatric imaging emerged as a third major clinical focus. Dr. Maria Rosana Ponisio of the Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology at Washington University in St. Louis articulated a paradigm shift underway in the field. "The way we approach neuromolecular imaging is fundamentally shifting," she said, underscoring that PET/MRI enables simultaneous acquisition of molecular and multiparametric structural data — something PET/CT alone cannot achieve. With key technical barriers now resolved and radiation exposure significantly reduced, Dr. Ponisio predicted, "As it becomes more widely available, PET/MRI will be the platform of choice."
In pediatric nuclear medicine, a consultant from Denmark noted that the advantages of modern PET/CT scanners extend beyond low radiation dose. LAFOV scanners offer dramatically shortened scanning times, making examinations of younger children substantially easier for patients, families, and clinical teams alike.
Building the Ecosystem: Infrastructure, Workforce, and Global Access
Prof. Dr. Pek-Lan Khong of the Clinical Imaging Research Centre at the National University of Singapore reported on a recent project replacing two older PET/CT systems with a single total-body PET/CT. "Our goal was to make clinical services more efficient and to optimize our clinical research infrastructure," she stated. Khong cautioned that success depends on more than hardware: "Success is very ecosystem-dependent. You need the workforce. You need a proper radiopharmaceutical supply. And you also need an IT backbone with sufficient data storage and high-performance computing capabilities."
The summit also addressed the financial realities of high-end molecular imaging. Dr. Adelina Sanches de Melo, head of the Department of Nuclear Medicine at Santa Casa de Misericórdia da Bahia (search) in Salvador, Brazil, described how innovative financing models and strategic partnerships enabled her institution to acquire both a PET/CT for molecular diagnostics and a SPECT/CT for theranostics. "This was not the inexpensive choice, but the smart choice, an investment that makes sense for the next ten years," she said. "We more than doubled our numbers in 2025. We are on another level of expertise now. The market looks at us with different eyes, and we are also saving a lot of money."
Theranostics: Expanding Access and Evolving Concepts
Saturday, April 18, opened with a dynamic session on theranostics. Presenters acknowledged that global access to theranostics has improved and will continue to do so, driven by a broad spectrum of molecular imaging solutions that allow tailoring equipment to individual needs. Evolving understanding of tumor biology is giving rise to new theranostic care concepts that incorporate the individual immune response.
Dr. Ishita B. Sen of the Fortis Memorial Research Institute in Gurgaon, India, demonstrated through case stories that a theranostics program need not be overly complex, highlighting the progressive, stepwise approach taken at Fortis to deliver theranostics to patients.
Two panel discussions anchored the theranostics session. The first, moderated by Dr. Carl von Gall of Siemens Healthineers (search), examined radiopharmaceuticals and their role in defining the future of therapy. A second panel, moderated by Dr. Rene Fernandez of PositronMed (search) in Santiago, Chile, explored theranostics delivery models, spanning inpatient and outpatient pathways, decentralized networks, and mobile approaches — reflecting the field's growing recognition that access and delivery innovation are as critical as the technology itself.