A cohort of approximately one hundred participants recently diagnosed and not yet treated for neuroendocrine tumors will eventually be selected for this study, providing an adequate sample size to produce significant validity, reliability, and generalizability (Gabriel et al., 2007). A control group of approximately twenty-five individuals recently given negative results on conventional scintigraphy and/or dedicated CT diagnostic measures for neuroendocrine tumors will also be included in this study. All study participants will undergo imaging/diagnostic testing for neuroendocrine tumors using each of the three target methodologies -- [68Ga]-DOTATOC-based PET imaging, conventional scintigraphy, and dedicated CT (111ln-octreotide scintigraphy), with all tests completed on each patient within a four-day timeframe and all testing for the study completed in a three-month period. Follow-up documentation of treatments, neuroendocrine tumor diagnosis confirmation or rejection using histopathology, CT and MRI, and an ultimate determination of neuroendocrine tumor at the time of initial testing will also be conducted in order to validate the findings of initial diagnostic outcomes from the methodologies employed in the research, with follow-up examinations occurring at three weeks and again at six weeks after initial testing (Buchmann et al., 2007; Gabriel et al., 2007). Several local facilities have the capabilities to perform all necessary tests as described herein, and will be selected based on cost, availability, and proximity to participants (to reduce rates of attrition). Images...

Comparisons of outcomes in the primary research group will serve as the base measure for the accuracy and efficacy of the various diagnostic measures investigated. The control group will be used to provide greater potential evidence of false positive emergence in the tests utilized, and could also demonstrate inaccuracy in previous clinical diagnostics.
References

Buchmann, I., Hense, M., Engelbrecht, S., Eisenhut, M…. & Haberkorn, U. (2007). Comparison of 68Ga-DOTATOC PET and 111In-DTPAOC (Octreoscan) SPECT in patients with neuroendocrine tumours. European Journal of Nuclear Medicine & Molecular Imaging 34(10): 1617-26.

Gabriel, M., Decristoforo, C., Kendler, D., Dobrozemsky, G…. & Virgolini, I. (2007). Ga-DOTA-Tyr3-Octreotide PET in Neuroendocrine Tumors: Comparison with Somatostatin Receptor Scintigraphy and CT. Journal of Nuclear Medicine48(4): 508-18.

Hofmann, M., Maecke, H., Borner, a., Weckesser, E…. & Meyer, G. (2001). Biokinetics and imaging with the somatostatin receptor PET radioligand 68Ga-DOTATOC: preliminary data. Molecular Medicine & Molecular Imaging 28(12): 1751-1757.

Poeppel, T., Binse, I., Petersenn, S., Lahner, H…. & Boy, C. (2011). 68Ga-DOTATOC versus 68Ga-DOTATATE PET/CT in functional imaging of neuroendocrine tumors. Journal of Nuclear…