Reston, VA (October 30, 2026)—New research has been published ahead-of-print by The Journal of Nuclear Medicine (JNM). JNM is published by the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, an international scientific and medical organization dedicated to advancing nuclear medicine, molecular imaging, and theranostics—precision medicine that allows diagnosis and treatment to be tailored to individual patients in order to achieve the best possible outcomes.
Summaries of the newly published research articles are provided below.
Combined PET/CT and MRI Improve Prostate Cancer Focal Therapy Assessment
Selecting patients for focal therapy requires accurately identifying prostate cancer that has spread or involves multiple areas of the prostate. A study comparing PSMA PET/CT and multiparametric MRI found that combining the imaging methods improved detection of features that could make patients unsuitable for focal therapy, although some cases remained undetected.
PET Imaging May Help Predict Radiation Dose in FAP-Targeted Cancer Therapy
Researchers investigated whether diagnostic 68Ga-FAPI-46 PET/CT scans could predict tumor radiation doses from 90Y-FAPI-46 therapy. In 14 patients with 24 tumors, measurements from the diagnostic scans were strongly correlated with those from therapeutic imaging, suggesting a potential role in treatment planning and patient selection.
Imaging Reveals Patterns of Progression During PSMA-Targeted Prostate Cancer Therapy
A study of 361 patients receiving 177Lu-PSMA therapy found that 80 percent showed a reduction in tumor size or number. However, 43 percent experienced disease progression during treatment, most commonly in bone. Imaging and prostate-specific antigen measurements showed conflicting results in up to 43 percent of patients across treatment cycles.
PET/CT Identifies Recurrent Prostate Cancer Despite Negative PSMA Imaging
A prospective study found that 18F-fluciclovine PET/CT detected prostate cancer recurrence in 56 percent of patients with rising prostate-specific antigen levels but negative PSMA PET scans. The additional imaging changed intended treatment management in 71 percent of patients, identifying disease in the prostate bed, lymph nodes or distant sites.
PSMA PET/CT Staging Associated With Improved Long-Term Prostate Cancer Outcomes
An analysis of nearly 7,000 patients with prostate cancer found that PSMA PET/CT for initial staging was associated with longer overall survival, cancer-specific survival and time to biochemical recurrence. The association was particularly strong among high-risk patients receiving radiation therapy, although this finding requires further investigation.
High Gallbladder Ejection Fraction May Be Linked to Abdominal Pain Relief After Surgery
A study of 1,775 patients with right upper quadrant pain found that both low and high gallbladder ejection fractions were associated with symptom relief after gallbladder removal. Among patients who underwent surgery, 90 percent with low ejection fractions and 94 percent with high ejection fractions reported symptom relief, highlighting the potential significance of gallbladder hypercontractility.
PET Imaging May Better Predict Immunotherapy Response in Lung Cancer
A multicenter study found that PET imaging of PD-L1 expression in patients with advanced non–small cell lung cancer was associated with immunotherapy outcomes. Patients with low tracer uptake were unlikely to experience durable clinical benefit, with PET demonstrating a 94 percent negative predictive value, outperforming standard tissue-based PD-L1 testing.
A small study found that combining botulinum toxin injections with a scopolamine patch reduced PSMA radioligand uptake in salivary glands during prostate cancer radiopharmaceutical therapy. Uptake decreased by approximately 30 percent in parotid glands and 17 percent in submandibular glands, with no severe toxicities reported among the 14 patients.
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