3,4-Dihydroxy-6-[18F]-Fluoro-L-Phenylalanine Positron Emission Tomography in Patients With Central Motor Disorders and in Evaluation of Brain and Other Tumors

6-[18F]Fluoro-L-DOPA: A Well-Established Neurotracer with Expanding Application Spectrum and Strongly Improved Radiosyntheses

“…Beyond glioma imaging, recent studies have also shown the increasing importance of [ 18 F]F-DOPA for the visualization of various peripheral tumor entities via PET [20] which can be attributed to the upregulation of amino acid transporters in malignant tissues due to an often increased proliferation [21, 22]. [ 18 F]F-DOPA, which is transported via the dopamine transporter (DAT) into cells, has thus shown diagnostic advantages in the imaging of high- and low-grade malignancies like neuroendocrine tumors [23–27], pheochromocytoma [28, 29], and pancreatic adenocarcinoma [30–32] regarding diagnostic efficiency and sensitivity.…”

18F-FDOPA: A Multiple-Target Molecule

“…By inhibiting the peripheral conversion of 18 F-FDOPA into 18 F-fluorodopamine with carbidopa, the bioavailability of the native tracer for tumor cells increases and uptake in the surrounding tissues such as the pancreas and kidneys decreases. Some tumors that do not possess features of NETs, such as cerebral gliomas, may still show increased uptake of 18 F-FDOPA because of the overexpression of the LAT1 protein (11). However, tracer avidity in non-NETs, with the exception of brain tumors, is less predictable, and the role of 18 F-FDOPA for diagnosis in major cancer forms seems to be limited ( Fig.…”

“…However, tracer avidity in non-NETs, with the exception of brain tumors, is less predictable, and the role of 18 F-FDOPA for diagnosis in major cancer forms seems to be limited ( Fig. 2) (11,12).…”

In Vivo Biodistribution of No-Carrier-Added 6-18F-Fluoro-3,4-Dihydroxy-l-Phenylalanine (18F-DOPA), Produced by a New Nucleophilic Substitution Approach, Compared with Carrier-Added 18F-DOPA, Prepared by Conventional Electrophilic Substitution

“…18 F-DOPA has been shown to be a good tracer for welldifferentiated neuroendocrine tumors originating from the gastrointestinal tract (1)(2)(3). In addition, 18 F-DOPA has also been shown to be a good tracer for other types of neuroendocrine tumors, such as neuroblastoma (4), medullary thyroid carcinoma, pheochromocytoma, and paraganglioma (1), and for malignancies of the central nervous system (5). Finally, imaging dopamine metabolism in the central nervous system with 18 F-DOPA is an effective means to determine the extent of degeneration of presynaptic dopaminergic neurons in Parkinson disease (6).…”