Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37947848›Full record

ArticleEuropean journal of nuclear medicine and molecular imaging2024

Changes in tumor-to-blood ratio as a prognostic marker for progression-free survival and overall survival in neuroendocrine tumor patients undergoing PRRT.

Manuel Weber, Olof Pettersson, Robert Seifert, Benedikt M Schaarschmidt, Wolfgang P Fendler, Christoph Rischpler, Harald Lahner, Ken Herrmann, Anders Sundin

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in European journal of nuclear medicine and molecular imaging, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Dual-tracer PET/CT with [European journal of nuclear medicine and molecular imaging · 2026
    Trial
  2. Review
  3. Review
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

9 authors.

Manuel Weber *Department of Nuclear Medicine, University of Duisburg-Essen and German Cancer Consortium (DKTK)-University Hospital Essen, Hufelandstraße 55, 45147, Essen, Germany. manuel.weber@uk-essen.de.ORCID 0000-0002-9000-1319
Olof Pettersson *Department of Surgical Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
Robert SeifertDepartment of Nuclear Medicine, University of Duisburg-Essen and German Cancer Consortium (DKTK)-University Hospital Essen, Hufelandstraße 55, 45147, Essen, Germany.
Benedikt M SchaarschmidtInstitute of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology and Neuroradiology, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany.
Wolfgang P FendlerDepartment of Nuclear Medicine, University of Duisburg-Essen and German Cancer Consortium (DKTK)-University Hospital Essen, Hufelandstraße 55, 45147, Essen, Germany.
Christoph RischplerDepartment of Nuclear Medicine, University of Duisburg-Essen and German Cancer Consortium (DKTK)-University Hospital Essen, Hufelandstraße 55, 45147, Essen, Germany.
Harald LahnerDepartment of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Division of Laboratory Research, University of Duisburg-Essen and German Cancer Consortium (DKTK)-University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany.
Ken Herrmann *Department of Nuclear Medicine, University of Duisburg-Essen and German Cancer Consortium (DKTK)-University Hospital Essen, Hufelandstraße 55, 45147, Essen, Germany.
Anders Sundin *Department of Surgical Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundHistorically, patient selection for peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT) has been performed by virtue of somatostatin receptor scintigraphy (SRS). In recent years, somatostatin receptor positron emission tomography (SSTR-PET) has gradually replaced SRS because of its improved diagnostic capacity, creating an unmet need for SSTR-PET-based selection criteria for PRRT. Tumor-to-blood ratio (TBR) measurements have shown high correlation with the net influx rate Ki, reflecting the tumor somatostatin receptor expression, to a higher degree than standardized uptake value (SUV) measurements. TBR may therefore predict treatment response to PRRT. In addition, changes in semiquantitative SSTR-PET parameters have been shown to predate morphological changes, making them a suitable metric for response assessment.

methodsThe institutional database of the Department of Nuclear Medicine (University Hospital Essen) was searched for NET patients undergoing ≥ 2 PRRT cycles with available baseline and follow-up SSTR-PET. Two blinded independent readers reported the occurrence of new lesions quantified tumor uptake of up to nine lesions per patient using SUV and TBR. The association between baseline TBR and changes in uptake/occurrence of new lesions with progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) was tested by use of a Cox regression model and log-rank test.

resultsPatients with baseline TBR in the 1st quartile had a shorter PFS (14.4 months) than those in the 3rd (23.7 months; p = 0.03) and 4th (24.1 months; p = 0.02) quartile. Similarly, these patients had significantly shorter OS (32.5 months) than those with baseline TBR in the 2nd (41.8 months; p = 0.03), 3rd (69.2 months; p < 0.01), and 4th (42.7 months; p = 0.03) quartile. Baseline to follow-up increases in TBR were independently associated with shorter PFS when accounting for prognostic markers, e.g., RECIST response (hazard ratio = 2.91 [95%CI = 1.54-5.50]; p = 0.01). This was confirmed with regard to OS (hazard ratio = 1.64 [95%CI = 1.03-2.62]; p = 0.04). Changes in SUVmean were not associated with PFS or OS.

conclusionsBaseline TBR as well as changes in TBR were significantly associated with PFS and OS and may improve patient selection and morphological response assessment. Future trials need to assess the role of TBR for therapy monitoring also during PRRT and prospectively explore TBR as a predictive marker for patient selection.

Indexed as

Neuroendocrine TumorsOrganometallic CompoundsHumansOctreotidePositron Emission Tomography Computed TomographyPrognosisProgression-Free SurvivalReceptors, SomatostatinTreatment OutcomeOctreotideOrganometallic CompoundsReceptors, SomatostatinDOTATOC PETNETsPRRTTheranosticsTherapy monitoring

Identifiers

PMID37947848
PMCPMC10796732

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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.