• Integrating PET Imaging in Personalized Medicine for Enhanced Cancer Diagnosis: Targeting Molecular Pathways in Precision Oncology
  • bahman bayramlou,1 Younes Soleimani,2 samad hassani,3,*
    1. B.Sc. Student of Radiology, School of Paramedical Sciences, Ardabil University of Medical Sciences, Ardabil, Iran
    2. Department of Neuroscience and Addiction Studies, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
    3. Department of Medical Imaging, School of Advanced Medical Technologies, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran


  • Introduction: Positron emission tomography (PET) has emerged as a cornerstone of precision oncology by enabling the noninvasive visualization and quantification of molecular pathways and tumor heterogeneity. Beyond its traditional role in metabolic imaging, advances in radiotracer development, hybrid imaging modalities, and computational analysis have significantly expanded its applications in personalized cancer care.
  • Methods: A comprehensive review of recent literature was conducted, focusing on clinical and preclinical studies that highlight the evolution of PET imaging from traditional metabolic assessment to the use of novel radiotracers targeting specific molecular pathways, such as receptor expression, hypoxia, proliferation, and the tumor microenvironment. Emphasis was placed on studies demonstrating the integration of PET with other imaging modalities and the use of advanced data analysis techniques to support individualized treatment strategies.
  • Results: Advances in PET imaging include hybrid modalities (PET/CT, PET/MRI), multiparametric imaging, and novel radiotracers targeting diverse pathways such as glucose metabolism, receptor expression (PSMA, GRPR, FAP, CXCR4), hypoxia, proliferation, and immune regulation. PET has demonstrated clinical utility in guiding patient selection, monitoring therapy, and predicting early responses across various cancers, including breast, prostate, lung, and neuroendocrine tumors. Integration with radiogenomics and radiomics enables the linking of imaging features to genomic profiles, thereby enhancing prognostic accuracy and facilitating individualized therapy planning. Despite these advances, challenges remain in standardization, biomarker validation, reproducibility, and cost-effectiveness.
  • Conclusion: PET imaging is a transformative tool in precision oncology, facilitating targeted cancer diagnosis, treatment planning, and response assessment. Ongoing innovations in tracer development, hybrid modalities, and artificial intelligence-driven analysis promise to further personalize cancer care. However, clinical translation requires overcoming barriers in standardization, validation, and accessibility to ensure widespread adoption and improved patient outcomes.
  • Keywords: PET imaging, precision oncology, personalized medicine, radiotracers, radiogenomics, cancer