Reston, VA (November 13, 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.
New Imaging Technique Detects Blood Flow Problems Before Reconstructive Surgery
A pilot study explored multispectral optoacoustic tomography (MSOT) to identify blood flow problems in tissue donor sites used for head and neck cancer reconstruction. In 16 patients, the imaging technique detected reduced muscle oxygen levels, particularly during exercise, and identified differences between donor sites and healthy individuals.
FAPI PET Detects Liver Fibrosis Activity in MASLD
A pilot study evaluated 18F-FAPI-74 PET imaging as a noninvasive way to assess liver fibrosis in people with metabolic dysfunction–associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). Imaging measurements of activated fibroblasts correlated strongly with biopsy-based fibrosis scores, with early blood-normalized measurements providing the clearest distinction between fibrosis stages.
PSMA PET Uptake in Benign Nerve Structures Shows Variability
A study examined how consistently prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) PET scans measure tracer uptake in peripheral nerve structures across repeated scans in 22 patients. Uptake measurements showed variability comparable to that previously reported in prostate cancer tumors, highlighting the importance of interpreting changes in uptake carefully.
PET/CT Reports Improve Automated Prostate Cancer Lesion Detection
Combining artificial intelligence analysis of prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) PET/CT images with information from radiology reports reduced false-positive lesion identification in 284 patients with prostate cancer. The approach improved overall segmentation agreement with manual assessments, although it did not improve contour accuracy for correctly identified lesions.
SPECT/CT Helps Guide Prostate Cancer Treatment Decisions
A study of 142 men receiving 177Lu-PSMA therapy evaluated an approach combining posttreatment SPECT/CT scans and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels to guide treatment decisions after two cycles. The algorithm agreed with real-world treatment decisions in 91.1 percent of cases and could have avoided 84.5 percent of interim PSMA PET scans.
PSMA PET Tumor Volume Predicts Survival in Prostate Cancer
An international study of nearly 14,000 patients with prostate cancer evaluated PET imaging measurements as predictors of overall survival. Total PSMA-positive tumor volume provided more accurate survival predictions than PSA levels or average tracer uptake, with higher tumor volumes associated with shorter survival.
225Ac Antagonist Delivers Higher Radiation Dose to Tumors
A preclinical study compared two 225Ac radiopharmaceuticals targeting somatostatin receptors in mice with small cell lung cancer. Despite limited cellular internalization, the antagonist 225Ac-SSO110 retained its radioactive daughter products as effectively as the agonist DOTATATE and delivered 2.8 times more radiation to tumors.
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