Ga-68 Labeled Somatostatin Analogs Positron Emission Tomography/ Computed Tomography in Gastroenteropancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors

Neuroendocrine tumors are a heterogeneous group of malignancy and have an increasing incidence. Different diagnostic imaging tools have been performed to evaluate neuroendocrine tumors such as computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. However these anatomical methods cannot give information about somatostatin receptor expression, which is extremely important in the management of neuroendocrine tumors. For this reason, somatostatin receptor imaging with radiolabelled somatostatin analogs has an increasing clinical practice. Today, planar scintigraphy or SPECT imaging with Tc-99m or In-111 labeled somatostatin analogs are widely being utilized worldwide. Recently, studies about superiority of positron emission tomography/ computed tomography with Ga-68 labeled somatostatin receptor analogs in the management of neuroendocrine tumors have been reported. The aim of this review is to search the recent literature the role of positron emission tomography/computed tomography with Ga-68 labeled somatostatin receptor analogs in the management of gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors.