PET Core Laboratory Provides Essential Element for Accurate Research

A positron emission tomography (PET) core laboratory is qualifying sites to participate in multicenter research trials by reviewing the quantitative data of PET scans and qualitatively reviewing clinical PET images from each site.

American College of Radiology (ACR; Reston, VA, USA) Image Metrix, an organization involved in imaging trial design, techniques, data extraction, management, and analysis, works closely with the American College of Radiology Imaging Network (ACRIN) to conduct PET trials.

According to an article published online in the Journal of Nuclear Medicine (JNM), on June 12, 2009, ACRIN has developed a qualification procedure for PET scanners at participating institutions designed to check the basic system calibrations and to verify that the clinical image quality is adequate for semiquantitative analysis of PET data.

"Information obtained from PET imaging has increasingly demonstrated its promising role as a noninvasive biomarker for assessing disease status,” stated lead author, Joshua Scheuermann, MS, clinical physicist at the University of Pennsylvania. "The goal of the PET qualification program is to ensure we are obtaining reliable quantitative and qualitative data across all of the centers participating in PET clinical research.”

Of 101 detailed scanner applications, 12% failed because of incorrect standardized uptake value (SUV) or normalization calibrations. Minimizing errors in SUV measurement is critical to achieving accurate quantification in clinical trials. ACRIN's PET core laboratory shows that many sites are unable to maintain accurate SUV calibrations without additional training or supervision.

"The emerging role of PET imaging endpoints as in vivo biomarkers requires imaging studies to produce reliable quantitative, semiquantitative and qualitative results that can be used to assess disease status. Ensuring such consistency in multicenter clinical trials that involve imaging is problematic. The problem stems from the fact that the data acquisition and reconstruction are performed in many different settings and often with different types of instrumentation. As described in our most recent peer-reviewed publication, ACRIN has managed to develop a robust system to streamline data collection, data management and processing. Such system is paving the way for a better integration of molecular imaging in drug discovery processes,” stated deputy co-chair and medical director, PET Core Laboratory, ACRIN, Barry A. Siegel, M.D.

"The results from this highlight the importance of a central review of a site's data and images before data from a PET scanner can be used,” stated ACR Image Metrix general manager, Michael Morales. "The PET core laboratory is a key component of our research center providing accurate, reliable research results.”

ACR Image Metrix, located in the American College of Radiology Clinical Research Center (Philadelphia, PA, USA), applies imaging techniques as a predictive and prognostic biomarker improving the efficiency for drug and medical device development programs. The team of physicians and scientists at ACR Image Metrix, work with pharmaceutical, biotech, and medical device companies to increase the efficiency of drug and medical device development programs by integrating the appropriate imaging modalities.

Related Links:
American College of Radiology
American College of Radiology Imaging Network