Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Availability and use of PET in patients with brain tumours – a European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer - Brain Tumour Group (EORTC-BTG) survey

Mair, Maximilian J. ; Lohmann, Philipp ; Galldiks, Norbert ; Belting, Mattias LU ; Brandal, Petter ; Broen, Martinus P.G. ; Cicone, Francesco ; Daisne, Jean François ; Ducray, François and Ehret, Felix , et al. (2025) In European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging
Abstract

Purpose: Positron emission tomography (PET) is increasingly used in neuro-oncology. However, little is known about its application across European institutions and reasons for variable implementation. Methods: Between June and August 2024, members of the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer - Brain Tumour Group (EORTC-BTG) completed a cross-sectional online survey on PET use in neuro-oncological practice. Results: Overall, 103 replies from 20 countries were received. A PET facility was available at 96/103 (93.2%) sites, of whom 74 (77.1%) performed PET in patients with brain tumours. Reasons for not performing PET included limited availability of tracers (14/29, 48.3%), high cost (11/29, 37.9%), and PET perceived... (More)

Purpose: Positron emission tomography (PET) is increasingly used in neuro-oncology. However, little is known about its application across European institutions and reasons for variable implementation. Methods: Between June and August 2024, members of the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer - Brain Tumour Group (EORTC-BTG) completed a cross-sectional online survey on PET use in neuro-oncological practice. Results: Overall, 103 replies from 20 countries were received. A PET facility was available at 96/103 (93.2%) sites, of whom 74 (77.1%) performed PET in patients with brain tumours. Reasons for not performing PET included limited availability of tracers (14/29, 48.3%), high cost (11/29, 37.9%), and PET perceived unnecessary (8/29, 27.6%). Of sites performing PET, 69/74 (93.2%) reported use in glioma, 58/74 (78.4%) in brain metastasis, 52/74 (70.3%) in meningioma, and 46/74 (62.2%) in CNS lymphoma. Amino acid PET was performed at 62/71 centres (87.3%; 3 not reported [n.r.]), most frequently in glioma (58/59, 98.3%, 3 n.r.) and for differentiation of treatment-related changes from tumour progression (58/59, 98.3%). Somatostatin receptor (SSTR) PET was performed at 50/68 sites (73.5%, 6 n.r.), mainly in meningioma (48/49, 98.0%), for patient selection before radioligand therapy (41/49, 83.7%) and for radiotherapy target volume definition (33/49, 67.3%). Unrestricted coverage by statutory health insurance was reported by 46/59 (78.0%) centres for amino acid PET and 33/49 (67.3%) for SSTR PET. Conclusion: PET use in neuro-oncology is variable across EORTC-BTG sites. Generation of evidence in clinical trials and surveys including non-academic institutions are needed to guide implementation in clinical practice.

(Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; and , et al. (More)
; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; and (Less)
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
epub
subject
keywords
Brain metastasis, Glioma, Imaging, Meningioma, Positron emission tomography
in
European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging
publisher
Springer
external identifiers
  • pmid:40464806
  • scopus:105007239086
ISSN
1619-7070
DOI
10.1007/s00259-025-07366-0
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
e12e32fd-6565-42f5-832e-b5cb3fe362df
date added to LUP
2025-09-29 13:56:09
date last changed
2025-10-27 15:49:53
@article{e12e32fd-6565-42f5-832e-b5cb3fe362df,
  abstract     = {{<p>Purpose: Positron emission tomography (PET) is increasingly used in neuro-oncology. However, little is known about its application across European institutions and reasons for variable implementation. Methods: Between June and August 2024, members of the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer - Brain Tumour Group (EORTC-BTG) completed a cross-sectional online survey on PET use in neuro-oncological practice. Results: Overall, 103 replies from 20 countries were received. A PET facility was available at 96/103 (93.2%) sites, of whom 74 (77.1%) performed PET in patients with brain tumours. Reasons for not performing PET included limited availability of tracers (14/29, 48.3%), high cost (11/29, 37.9%), and PET perceived unnecessary (8/29, 27.6%). Of sites performing PET, 69/74 (93.2%) reported use in glioma, 58/74 (78.4%) in brain metastasis, 52/74 (70.3%) in meningioma, and 46/74 (62.2%) in CNS lymphoma. Amino acid PET was performed at 62/71 centres (87.3%; 3 not reported [n.r.]), most frequently in glioma (58/59, 98.3%, 3 n.r.) and for differentiation of treatment-related changes from tumour progression (58/59, 98.3%). Somatostatin receptor (SSTR) PET was performed at 50/68 sites (73.5%, 6 n.r.), mainly in meningioma (48/49, 98.0%), for patient selection before radioligand therapy (41/49, 83.7%) and for radiotherapy target volume definition (33/49, 67.3%). Unrestricted coverage by statutory health insurance was reported by 46/59 (78.0%) centres for amino acid PET and 33/49 (67.3%) for SSTR PET. Conclusion: PET use in neuro-oncology is variable across EORTC-BTG sites. Generation of evidence in clinical trials and surveys including non-academic institutions are needed to guide implementation in clinical practice.</p>}},
  author       = {{Mair, Maximilian J. and Lohmann, Philipp and Galldiks, Norbert and Belting, Mattias and Brandal, Petter and Broen, Martinus P.G. and Cicone, Francesco and Daisne, Jean François and Ducray, François and Ehret, Felix and Furtner, Julia and Jakola, Asgeir S. and Niyazi, Maximilian and Pellerino, Alessia and Rasschaert, Marika and Razis, Evangelia and Sahm, Felix and Smits, Marion and Tolboom, Nelleke and Verger, Antoine and Le Rhun, Emilie and Minniti, Giuseppe and Weller, Michael and Preusser, Matthias and Albert, Nathalie L.}},
  issn         = {{1619-7070}},
  keywords     = {{Brain metastasis; Glioma; Imaging; Meningioma; Positron emission tomography}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  publisher    = {{Springer}},
  series       = {{European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging}},
  title        = {{Availability and use of PET in patients with brain tumours – a European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer - Brain Tumour Group (EORTC-BTG) survey}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00259-025-07366-0}},
  doi          = {{10.1007/s00259-025-07366-0}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}