Molecular imaging and theranostic approaches in pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma.

Abstract

Pheochromocytomas and their extra-adrenal counterpart paragangliomas (PGLs; together called PPGLs), belong to the family of neural crest-derived tumors. Given the overexpression of a wide variety of specific targets in PPGLs, it seems that these tumors are optimally suited to be imaged by specific radiopharmaceuticals. Thus, theranostics approaches with somatostatin agonists and antagonists are rapidly evolving in the setting of these tumors and may be considered as the next step in the therapeutic arsenal of metastatic PPGLs.