The Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI), formerly the Society of Nuclear Medicine, is a nonprofit scientific and professional organization that promotes the science, technology and practical application of nuclear medicine and molecular imaging. SNMMI's mission is to improve human health by advancing molecular imaging and therapy.The SNMMI was founded in 1954 as the Society of Nuclear Medicine, under the sponsorship of the Pacific Northwest Society of Nuclear Medicine. The name was changed to include molecular imaging in 2012. SNMMI has 15,000 members, consisting of nuclear and molecular imaging professionals worldwide. Members include physicians, technologists, physicists, pharmacists, scientists, laboratory professionals and more.The SNMMI national headquarters is located in Reston, Virginia, and 12 state/regional chapters are located throughout the United States and Canada. As a volunteer organization, SNMMI is governed by a policy-making board of directors, a house of delegates, committees and councils.
Internal radiation therapy using Lutetium-177 (177Lu)-PSMA-617 will be approved for PSMA-positive castration-resistant prostate cancer in actual clinical practice soon. At present, NHI medical technical fee for the use of Lutetium-177 (177Lu)-PSMA-617 injection has not been set. The Japanese Society of Nuclear Medicine conducted a health resource use survey in internal radiation therapy using a questionnaire sent to medical institutions which conducted clinical trials. As a result of the investigation, the cost required for treatment management per patient is 1,752,860 JPY, based on the Draft Proposal for Medical Examination Value (Ver.7.4) of the Japanese Health Insurance Federation for Surgery. Lutetium-177 (177Lu)-PSMA-617 is required to be administered every 6 weeks up to 6 times, and the treatment management fee per administration was estimated to be 292,143 JPY and the appropriate NHI medical technical fee is 29,214 points per patient per treatment, which can be claimed 6 times. In addition, Ga-generator and [68Ga] Ga-PSMA-11 elution/preparation work are required for PSMA-PET diagnosis, which is necessary for judging the appropriateness of administration of Lutetium-177 (177Lu)-PSMA-617. It was considered necessary to set an additional cost of 123,083 JPY per patient as the management expenses of Ga-generator, and 12,308 points per 1 administration was considered appropriate as the NHI medical technical fee.
A 69-year-old man presented with hoarseness and cervical swelling. CT revealed a neck tumor and lymph node metastasis. Somatostatin receptor scintigraphy (SRS) showed mild lesion uptake. Intravenous tumor thrombus into the right internal jugular and vertebral vein was suggested by FDG-PET/CT and confirmed by Contrast-enhanced CT. Biopsy revealed squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). The tumor location and thrombosis suggested ectopic thymic origin. Immunostaining for markers CD117 and POU2F3 was positive, confirming ectopic thymic SCC. Chemotherapy was initiated, with tumor reduction after 6 months. This case highlights the usefulness of FDG-PET/CT suggestion of tumor thrombus and SRS accumulation in the diagnosis of ectopic thymic carcinoma.
A 39-year-old man presented with a 1-month history of headaches. Imaging revealed a mass with extensive destruction. T2-weighted imaging displayed mixture of low and sponge-like high intensities and also dark area, with FDG PET/CT showing uneven but intense accumulation. Biopsy confirmed EWSR1 rearrangement, and hyalinizing clear cell carcinoma (HCCC) was diagnosed. HCCC, recently renamed from clear cell carcinoma in the fifth edition of the World Health Organization Classification of Head and Neck Tumors, is a rare tumor. This case describes the features of T2-weighted imaging and FDG PET patterns in HCCC, possibly contributing to their consideration in the differential diagnosis.
Recently, an astatine-labeled prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) ligand ([211At]PSMA-5) has been developed for the targeted alpha therapy of patients with prostate cancer. This manual delineates its physicochemical characteristics to assist healthcare professionals in understanding the α-ray-emitting drug of [211At]PSMA-5 when administered to patients. The safety considerations regarding the handling and use of this drug in clinical trials are outlined, based on the proper usage manual of previous studies. The dose limits, as defined by the guidelines of the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), are assessed for patients’ caregivers and the general public. According to the calculations provided in this manual, clinical trials involving [211At]PSMA-5 can be safely conducted for these populations even if patients are released after its administration. Moreover, this manual provides comprehensive guidance on the handling of [211At]PSMA-5 for healthcare facilities, and compiles a list of precautionary measures to be distributed among patients and their caregivers. While this manual was created by a research team supported by Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare in Japan and approved by Japanese Society of Nuclear Medicine, its applicability extends to healthcare providers in other countries. This manual aims to facilitate conducting clinical trials using [211At]PSMA-5 in patients with prostate cancer.
