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FDG PET could be used as a noninvasive surrogate marker for tumor growth and viability in treatment of head and neck cancer, based on a rodent model study published in the December issue of Radiology.

The Molecular Imaging Biomarker Research Group of Siemens Medical Solutions USA has completed a Phase II multicenter clinical trial of its HX4 positron PET imaging biomarker, which is designed to detect hypoxia—a reduction in tissue oxygen levels—in solid tumors.

Infinitt North America, a developer of image and information management technologies for healthcare, has received FDA clearance for its fusion software, Xelis Fusion. The software is now available to the North American market.

Folate-targeted nanoparticle Paclitaxel Y90 is a biologically-targeted chemoradiotherapy for ovarian cancer and represents a potential novel treatment for ovarian peritoneal metastases, according to a presentation at the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) last week in Orlando, Fla.

PET imaging is effective in staging, restaging, detecting recurrence and treatment monitoring across a wide range of cancers. This feature discusses updates on important PET imaging clinical trials in cancer care by the American College of Radiology Imaging Network and National Cancer Institute and focuses on improving cancer staging and predicting response to therapy. The National Oncology PET Registry (NOPR) recently published the results of the impact of dedicated brain PET on intended patient management and opened a registry for 18F-sodium fluoride PET to identify bone metastasis. The Cancer and Leukemia Group B (CALGB) sponsored by the NCI is another group conducting clinical trials in cancer, yet PET trials are still few.

IsoRay, which manufactures Cesium-131 used in internal radiation therapy (brachytherapy) for the treatment of lung, brain, colon, head and neck, ocular melanoma and prostate cancer, has announced its second quarter financial results that showed narrowing of net losses despite a decrease in net sales, which ended Dec. 31, 2010.

Tiny gold particles can help doctors detect circulating tumor cells in the blood of patients with head and neck cancer and other cancers, according to research published online Feb. 11 in Cancer Research.