Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36609606›Full record

ArticleEuropean journal of nuclear medicine and molecular imaging2023

The additional role of [68Ga]Ga-FAPI-04 PET/CT in patients with unknown primary lesion with a negative or equivocal [18F]FDG.

Qiaoqiao Shu, Maoxue Deng, Mei Hu, Mengna Liu, Xi Chen, Yue Chen, Liang Cai

Abstract read
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In one paragraph

Article in European journal of nuclear medicine and molecular imaging, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
2.3field-weighted citation impact, top 11% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

7 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 10 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Same-day dual-tracer PET/CT imaging with [Annals of nuclear medicine · 2025
    Trial
  4. European journal of nuclear medicine and molecular imaging · 2026
    Article
  5. Article
  6. cGMP-compliant high-yield automated production of [EJNMMI radiopharmacy and chemistry · 2025
    Article
  7. Evaluating the diagnostic value ofJapanese journal of radiology · 2025
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Qiaoqiao ShuDepartment of Nuclear Medicine, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, Sichuan, People's Republic of China.
Maoxue DengDepartment of Nuclear Medicine, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, Sichuan, People's Republic of China.
Mei HuSchool of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, Sichuan, People's Republic of China.
Mengna LiuDepartment of Nuclear Medicine, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, Sichuan, People's Republic of China.
Xi ChenDepartment of Nuclear Medicine, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, Sichuan, People's Republic of China.
Yue ChenDepartment of Nuclear Medicine, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, Sichuan, People's Republic of China.
Liang CaiDepartment of Nuclear Medicine, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, Sichuan, People's Republic of China. cllc131420@sina.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0746-4284
Southwest Medical University · CN

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purpose[18F]FDG PET/CT to detect unknown primary lesions is essential for clinical management but still has limitations. [68Ga]Ga-FAPI is a tumor-stromal imaging agent that provides a promising alternative to [18F]FDG for the assessment of malignancies. We aimed to investigate whether [68Ga]Ga-FAPI PET/CT has an additional role in identifying unknown primary lesions with negative or equivocal [18F] FDG PET/CT results.

methodsThis single-center prospective clinical study was conducted between March 2020 and March 2022 at Southwest Medical University Hospital. Patients underwent [18F]FDG PET/CT for the identification of unknown primary lesions. They underwent repeat [68Ga]Ga-FAPI PET/CT when [18F]FDG PET/CT results were negative or equivocal. Histopathological examination, surgery, or clinical follow-up (at least 3 months) for FAPI-positive lesions. The diagnostic efficacy of [68Ga]Ga-FAPI in identifying unknown primary lesions was evaluated.

resultsA total of 44 participants (median age, 57 ± 12 [SD]; 22 [50%] men) were evaluated. Thirteen of the 44 patients had equivocal [18F]FDG PET/CT findings, while the diagnosis was clear on [68Ga]Ga-FAPI PET/CT. [68Ga]Ga-FAPI PET/CT also revealed primary lesions in additional 17 patients with negative [18F]FDG PET/CT findings. In fourteen of 44 patients, no primary lesion was detected by either tracer. On this basis, we analyzed 94 lymph node metastatic lesions. The mean SUVmax of lymph node metastases on [68Ga] Ga-FAPI PET/CT and [18F]FDG PET/CT were 9.2 ± 5.1, 7.9 ± 4.8 (p = 0.03) and the mean TBR were 9.1 ± 5.2, 4.9 ± 3.1 (p < 0.01), respectively.

conclusion[68Ga]Ga-FAPI PET/CT showed great potential for identifying unknown primary lesions and has the potential to improve the detection rate of unknown primary lesions with negative or equivocal for [18F]FDG findings.

trial registrationClinicalTrial.gov. Identifier: ChiCTR2100044131.

Indexed as

Neoplasms, Unknown PrimaryQuinolinesAgedFemaleFluorodeoxyglucose F18Gallium RadioisotopesHumansMaleMiddle AgedPositron Emission Tomography Computed TomographyProspective Studies68Ga-FAPIFluorodeoxyglucose F18Gallium RadioisotopesQuinolines[18F]FDG[68Ga]Ga-FAPIPET/CTUnknown primary lesion

Identifiers

PMID36609606
OpenAlexW4313642973

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.