# Basic applications for total-body PET in oncology

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT DAVIS · 2021 · $614,406

## Abstract

Abstract:
 The EXPLORER Consortium, through funding via a Transformative R01 and substantial commercial
investment, has developed a 2-meter long total body PET scanner. This device has the potential to significantly
alter the clinical application of PET through (a) substantial reduction in scan times, (b) substantial
improvements in image quality, (c) substantial reduction in administered activity and (d) total-body coverage.
 This proposal aims to answer the basic questions that this new equipment raises with respect to the
current clinical oncology application space: (1) how fast a scan can be performed to obtain standard diagnostic
images using total-body PET; (2) whether breath-hold PET is feasible; (3) whether the scanner will support a
25-fold reduction in administered radiotracer activity; (4) whether there is value in delaying imaging to much
later time-points after injection than current practice and (5) if the improvements in image quality obtained
using standard injected doses and scan times have clinical utility.
 We will enroll 360 subjects from the clinical oncologic population seen at University of California, Davis;
specifically, subjects affected by lung cancer, lymphoma and melanoma referred for PET/CT scan initial
staging will be enrolled before starting treatment.
 We expect that the EXPLORER total-body PET scanner will be able to perform studies of similar
diagnostic quality to conventional PET/CT scanners in approximately a minute or using a reduced dose
corresponding to 1/25th of the standard dose. In addition we predict that breath-hold examinations will be
feasible on EXPLORER. We also predict that very late time point imaging will be feasible on EXPLORER
resulting in potential gains in lesion conspicuity. Finally, in collaboration with a team of highly-qualified team
with expertise in oncology, radiation therapy, radiology and pathology, we will collect initial data to assess the
added value of high-quality EXPLORER scans in oncologic imaging compared to conventional PET/CT
scanners.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10248438
- **Project number:** 5R01CA249422-03
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT DAVIS
- **Principal Investigator:** RAMSEY D. BADAWI
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $614,406
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-09-12 → 2024-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10248438

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10248438, Basic applications for total-body PET in oncology (5R01CA249422-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10248438. Licensed CC0.

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