Could an Emerging PET Tracer be a Game Changer for Detecting Hepatocellular Carcinoma?

Patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the sixth most common cancer, frequently have advanced stage presentations but preliminary research findings suggest that an emerging positron emission tomography (PET) agent may facilitate earlier detection.

In a recent pilot study, presented at the Society for Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) conference, researchers evaluated the glypican-3 (GPC3) targeted PET tracer⁶⁸Ga-aGPC3-scFv in 36 patients with suspected HCC who had PET/MRI scans.

Note the focal uptake in the sub-centimeter GPC3-positive hepatocellular carcinoma lesions revealed in the above ⁶⁸Ga-XH06 PET/MRI images. New research presented at the SNMMI conference suggested that the PET agent ⁶⁸GaGPC3-scFv, which targets glypican-3 (GPC3), may detect HCC lesions smaller than one centimeter. (Images courtesy of SNMMI.)

The researchers found that ⁶⁸Ga-aGPC3-scFv offered a 91.7 percent sensitivity and an 83.3 percent specificity for HCC. The PET tracer also provided successful detection of tumors as small as one centimeter, according to the study authors.

“While current imaging and diagnosis of HCC primarily depend on contrast-enhanced CT or MRI to identify structural changes, PET imaging has the potential to reveal early molecular alterations that precede visible anatomical shifts,” emphasized lead study author Mengting Li, Ph.D., an attending physician at the Nuclear Medicine Department of Wuhan Union Hospital in Wuhan, China.

In addition to noting a median SUVmax of 17.2 and a median tumor-to-liver ratio (TLR) of 5.9, the researchers pointed out the SUVmax and TLR increased with time in the 22 patients diagnosed with HCC.

(Editor’s note: For additional coverage of the SNMMI conference, click here.)

“GPC3-targeted immunoPET provides clearer, more accurate imaging with high tumor-to-background contrast, enabling earlier diagnosis and better staging,” said Xiaoli Lan, M.D., Ph.D., a co-author of the study and chairwoman of the Department of Nuclear Medicine at Wuhan Union Hospital. “For patients, this could mean life-saving interventions at earlier stages, improved treatment planning, and ultimately, higher survival rates.”

(Editor’s note: For related content, see “Seven Takeaways from New Literature Review on Ultrasound and Hepatocellular Carcinoma,” “Are CT and MRI-Derived LI-RADS Assessments Effective for Detecting HCC in Cases of Non-Cirrhotic Chronic Hepatitis C?” and “What is the Best HCC Staging System for People Being Treated with Transarterial Chemoembolization (TACE)?”)

Reference

1. Li M, Hu W, Zhang X, et al. GPC3-targeted immunoPET allows for early detection of HCC: a pilot clinical study. Presented at the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) conference, June 21-24, 2025, New Orleans. Available at: https://jnm.snmjournals.org/content/66/supplement_1/252173 .