Weber points out, “FDG PET/CT is routinely used to stage melanoma. The present study suggests that it also can be used to monitor tumor response to ipilimumab therapy and predict outcome. FDG PET can identify patients with favorable and unfavorable prognoses—leading to therapy escalation (e.g., combination immunotherapy) or de-escalation (e.g., reduced number of therapy cycles).” In this way, a patient’s therapy can be more effectively tailored to his or her personal response.

Authors of 18F FDG PET/CT for “Monitoring of Ipilimumab Therapy in Patients with Metastatic Melanoma” include Kimiteru Ito, Rebecca Teng, Heiko Schöder, John L. Humm, Ai Ni, Laure Michaud, Reiko Nakajima, Rikiya Yamashita, Jedd D. Wolchok, and Wolfgang. A. Weber, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York.


This research was funded in part through the NIH/NCI Cancer Center Support Grant P30 CA008748.


About the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging
The Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) is an international scientific and medical organization dedicated to advancing nuclear medicine and molecular imaging, vital elements of precision medicine that allow diagnosis and treatment to be tailored to individual patients in order to achieve the best possible outcomes.

SNMMI’s more than 17,000 members set the standard for molecular imaging and nuclear medicine practice by creating guidelines, sharing information through journals and meetings and leading advocacy on key issues that affect molecular imaging and therapy research and practice.

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