PET/CT FAPI: Procedure and evidence review in oncology

Abstract

Neoplasms are composed of malignant tumor cells, which are surrounded by other non-tumor cellular elements, in what has been defined as the microenvironment or tumor stroma. Evidence on the importance of the tumor microenvironment has not stopped growing in recent years. It plays a central role in cell proliferation, tissue invasion, angiogenesis and cell migration. The paradigm is the family of new FAPI radiopharmaceuticals that show the density of the fibroblast activation protein (FAP) which is overexpressed in the cell membrane of activated cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAF), and its presence is related to poor prognosis. This educational document includes the procedure for performing PET/CT FAPI, biodistribution and the main potentially clinical applications in oncology to date.

Keywords: FAPI; Microambiente tumoral; PET/CT; PET/TC; Tumoral microenvironment.