New PET imaging agents in the management of solid cancers

Purpose of review F-18-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose PET-computed tomography (CT) has a major clinical impact in oncology not only for diagnostics but also for staging, response assessment, and relapse detection. However, several other PET tracers are needed for a more complete molecular characterization of cancers which has great importance in the era of individualized targeted therapies. PET-CT is an exquisite tool for molecular imaging because it allows detection of nanomolar quantities of tracer molecules targeting different hallmarks of cancer. Recent findings This article reviews the most recent findings (published in 2010-2011) on the use of molecular imaging for assessing tumour proliferation, apoptosis, growth receptor expression, bone metabolism, and hypoxia. Summary Molecular imaging using PET-CT constitutes a major opportunity in translational research bringing fundamental molecular insights to the clinical area. Such information results invaluable for patient selection and prediction of response to therapy and serves as a crucial diagnostic tool in the era of personalized medicine.