Denver, Colo. (November 15, 2016) – Rocky Mountain Cancer Centers (RMCC), a practice in The US Oncology Network, is the first in the Rocky Mountain region, and one of only a handful of sites in the United States, to offer the newly approved Ga-68 DOTATATE PET/CT for patients with neuroendocrine tumors (NETs). The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved the test. Marketed under the name Netspot™, gallium 68 DOTATATE is a radioactive diagnostic agent used in positron emission tomography (PET) imaging. Because the gallium DOTATATE binds strongly to the receptors of neuroendocrine tumor cells, it effectively detects tumors and metastases, not seen on other standard scans, and reveals the locations of tumors.
The Ga-68 DOTATATE scan allows surgeons to pinpoint the precise location of tumors before beginning surgery. RMCC neuroendocrine tumor surgeon, and internationally recognized disease expert, Eric Liu, MD, FACS, was instrumental in research that led to the approval of the gallium diagnostic test. “The information is critical for me to do the best possible surgery for patients,” Dr. Liu noted.
Nearly 10,000 people in the United States are diagnosed with NETs each year. The tumors are slow-growing but very likely to spread. They primarily affect abdominal and respiratory organs, including the stomach, pancreas, intestines, and lungs. The condition historically has been difficult to diagnose, and the cancer is not well recognized or understood across the medical community.
“The key to effective treatment of a rare cancer like neuroendocrine is accurate diagnosis,” says Allen Cohn, MD, co-director of Medical Services of The Neuroendocrine Institute at Rocky Mountain Cancer Centers. “The level of detail provided by the Ga-68 DOTATATE scan allows us to more accurately stage the disease. We can then provide our patients with a treatment regimen aimed at helping them achieve better outcomes.”
In addition to surgery, other treatment options for NETs include hormone therapy, radiation, and other interventions. The Netspot Ga-68 DOTATATE PET/CT is available at the Rocky Mountain Cancer Centers Midtown location, centrally located near downtown Denver.
About Rocky Mountain Cancer Centers
Rocky Mountain Cancer Centers is Colorado’s largest and most comprehensive provider of cancer care with 54 physicians treating patients in 19 community-based locations across the state. We are united in healing with The US Oncology Network, one of the nation’s largest networks of integrated community-based oncology practices dedicated to advancing high-quality, evidence-based patient care.
About The Neuroendocrine Institute
The Neuroendocrine Institute at Rocky Mountain Cancer Centers specializes in treating all types and stages of neuroendocrine tumors. Led by Co-Directors Dr. Allen Cohn and Dr. Eric Liu, the multidisciplinary team includes medical oncologists, surgeons, radiation oncologists, pathologists, interventional radiologists, advanced practice providers, and oncology nurses. The latest clinical trials are also available.