# Somatostatin receptor PET (68Ga/64Cu-DOTATATE)

Source: https://nuclide.cc/technologies/sstr-pet/  
Nuclide record `sstr-pet` (Technology). Data CC BY-NC 4.0, attribute "Data from Nuclide (nuclide.cc)"; commercial use needs a licence.

## TL;DR

A PET scan using a radioactive hormone mimic that lights up neuroendocrine tumours and shows whether the matching radioactive treatment will work.

## Summary

68Ga-DOTATATE (Netspot, 2016), 68Ga-DOTATOC (2019) and 64Cu-DOTATATE (Detectnet, 2020) replaced 111In-octreotide scintigraphy, with far higher sensitivity for small lesions and bone disease. Mandatory for staging, for selecting patients for PRRT (Krenning score ≥3 or uptake above liver), and for detecting occult primaries. FDG PET complements it in high-grade or dedifferentiated disease ('flip-flop' pattern).

## Fields

- Kind: Technology
- Status: standard-of-care
- Last checked: 2026-09-07
- Principle: Radiolabelled somatostatin analogue binds SSTR2 on tumour cells; positron emission imaged by PET/CT.
- Since: 2016
- Strengths: Whole-body receptor map; Theranostic gatekeeper for 177Lu-DOTATATE; Changes management in ~40% of patients versus conventional imaging
- Limitations: Physiologic uptake in pancreas uncinate, spleen, pituitary; Poor sensitivity in SSTR-negative high-grade disease; 68Ga generator supply and short half-life

## Sources

- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DOTA-TATE
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DOTA-TATE

## Connected records

- isotopes: [Copper-64](https://nuclide.cc/isotopes/cu-64/), [Gallium-68](https://nuclide.cc/isotopes/ga-68/), [Germanium-68](https://nuclide.cc/isotopes/ge-68/), [Indium-111](https://nuclide.cc/isotopes/in-111/)
- indications: [Grade 3 well-differentiated neuroendocrine tumour](https://nuclide.cc/indications/grade-3-net/), [Hereditary pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma (SDHx, VHL, RET, NF1, MAX and TMEM127)](https://nuclide.cc/indications/hereditary-ppgl/), [Lung neuroendocrine tumours (typical and atypical carcinoid)](https://nuclide.cc/indications/lung-net/), [Metastatic pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma](https://nuclide.cc/indications/metastatic-ppgl/), [Multiple endocrine neoplasia syndromes (MEN1, MEN2, MEN4)](https://nuclide.cc/indications/multiple-endocrine-neoplasia/), [Neuroendocrine tumours](https://nuclide.cc/indications/neuroendocrine/), [Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours](https://nuclide.cc/indications/pancreatic-net/), [Pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma (PPGL)](https://nuclide.cc/indications/pheochromocytoma-paraganglioma/), [Small intestinal neuroendocrine tumours](https://nuclide.cc/indications/small-intestinal-net/), [Small-cell lung cancer](https://nuclide.cc/indications/sclc/)
- technologies: [Germanium-68/gallium-68 generators](https://nuclide.cc/technologies/ge68-ga68-generators/), [Peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT)](https://nuclide.cc/technologies/prrt/), [PET (positron emission tomography)](https://nuclide.cc/technologies/pet/), [PET/CT](https://nuclide.cc/technologies/pet-ct/), [Radionuclide generators and cold kits](https://nuclide.cc/technologies/radionuclide-generators-kits/)
- targets: [Somatostatin receptor 2](https://nuclide.cc/targets/sstr2/)
- drugs: [Copper-64 dotatate](https://nuclide.cc/drugs/cu-64-dotatate/), [Gallium-68 DOTATATE (and Cu-64 DOTATATE)](https://nuclide.cc/drugs/ga68-dotatate/), [Gallium-68 edotreotide (DOTATOC)](https://nuclide.cc/drugs/ga-68-dotatoc/), [Lutetium-177 dotatate](https://nuclide.cc/drugs/lutathera/)
- terms: [Krenning score](https://nuclide.cc/terms/krenning-score/), [Specific activity and molar activity](https://nuclide.cc/terms/specific-activity/), [Theranostics](https://nuclide.cc/terms/theranostics/)
- companies: [Advanced Accelerator Applications (Novartis)](https://nuclide.cc/companies/advanced-accelerator-applications/)
- pairings: [68Ga-DOTATATE PET before Lutathera (177Lu-DOTATATE)](https://nuclide.cc/pairings/ga68-dotatate-then-lutathera/), [SSTR PET → PRRT](https://nuclide.cc/pairings/sstr-pet-to-prrt/)
- opportunities: [An inflammation tracer that does not need a diet](https://nuclide.cc/opportunities/opp-cardiac-sarcoidosis-specific-tracer/)
- bottlenecks: [Site readiness and referral pathway delays](https://nuclide.cc/bottlenecks/b-site-readiness-referral/)
- fronts: [Molecular imaging](https://nuclide.cc/fronts/f-molecular-imaging/), [Neuro-imaging](https://nuclide.cc/fronts/f-neuro-imaging/), [Radioligand therapy](https://nuclide.cc/fronts/f-radioligand-therapy/)
- roadmaps: [Neuro-oncology imaging roadmap: FDG PET → amino acid PET → SSTR2 theranostics in meningioma](https://nuclide.cc/roadmaps/neuro-imaging-roadmap/), [SSTR theranostics roadmap: octreotide scintigraphy → 68Ga-DOTATATE → 177Lu-DOTATATE → alpha](https://nuclide.cc/roadmaps/sstr-theranostics-roadmap/)

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JSON: https://nuclide.cc/api/v1/entities/sstr-pet.json