This Project Grant award from the National Cancer Institute under the Cancer Detection and Diagnosis Research program (CFDA 93.394) provides $235,707 to Weill Medical College of Cornell University to conduct research on using [68Ga]-DOTATATE PET/MRI imaging to improve the diagnosis, treatment planning, and outcomes for patients with pituitary neuroendocrine tumors (PitNET).
The key objectives of this 2-year project are to: 1) characterize the range of DOTATATE PET SUV values in PitNET and how they relate to clinical, demographic, and endocrine variables; 2) compare PET/MRI-guided vs. MRI-only radiotherapy planning for PitNET; and 3) evaluate the potential of DOTATATE PET/MRI to improve local control and endocrine remission rates compared to MRI-based benchmarks and an institutional observational control cohort. The findings have the potential to enhance diagnostic accuracy, increase understanding of PitNET biology, and optimize stereotactic radiosurgery targeting, with the goal of achieving greater tumor control and hormonal remission for patients with these rare neuroendocrine tumors.