Abstract:
Numerous positron emission tomography (PET) targets for detection and staging of hepatocellular
cancer have been developed in recent years. Hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) are clinically
and pathologically heterogeneous tumours with a high tendency to be aggressive and unresponsive
to chemotherapy. Early detection is essential, and the need for an adequate imaging biomarker,
which can overcome some of the limitations of conventional radiological imaging, is persistent.
Flourine-18 (18F) flourodeoxyglucose (FDG), the most widely used PET radiopharmaceutical, has
proven disappointing as a possible staple in the evaluation of HCC. This disappointment had led
to experimentation with carious radiotracers, such as the choline derivatives, acetate, and prostatespecific
membrane antigen, which appear to complement and/or enhance the role of FDG. In this
study, we look at the various PET radiopharmaceuticals that have been used for imaging HCC and
the particular pathways that they target in HCC and liver cancers.
