From May 30 to June 2, Los Angeles (United States) hosted the SNMMI Annual Meeting (Society of Nuclear Medicine & Molecular Imaging), one of the world’s largest and most prestigious events dedicated to innovation in Nuclear Medicine. Brazilian science was well represented at the meeting, with a notable contribution from the team of researchers from the CEPID CancerThera.
A major highlight for the delegation was the award received by Dr. Celso Dario Ramos, nuclear medicine physician, professor at the School of Medical Sciences of the State University of Campinas (FCM/Unicamp), and principal investigator at CancerThera. Conducted and presented by him at the event, the study “Whole-body ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT Reveals More Extensive Multiorgan Disease than Conventional Staging in Paracoccidioidomycosis” won the award for Best International Abstract.
The study is innovative in its use of whole-body PET/CT (Positron Emission Tomography combined with Computed Tomography) with the radiopharmaceutical ¹⁸F-FDG (fluorodeoxyglucose labeled with Fluorine-18) to assess the extent of paracoccidioidomycosis, a systemic infectious fungal disease endemic to South America. “It is understudied and considered a neglected disease,” says Ramos.
He explains that while efforts are being made to develop new drugs, investment in diagnosis remains limited, as conventional methods do not reveal the true severity of the disease. He also points to what may have attracted the attention of the judging committee: “We were able to detect the actual extent of the disease, identifying sites of involvement that, at the frequency we observed, had previously only been seen in autopsy studies.”
In addition to the study on the diagnosis of paracoccidioidomycosis, Ramos also presented CancerThera’s advances in oncology, showcasing an investigation comparing the uptake of the radiopharmaceuticals ¹⁸F-FDG and ¹⁷⁷Lu-PSMA (Prostate-Specific Membrane Antigen labeled with Lutetium-177) in lung cancer. “We found that PSMA uptake occurs in many lung cancer cases, but it tends to differ between two histological subtypes,” he explains. According to the researcher, pulmonary adenocarcinoma shows more intense uptake than squamous cell carcinoma, a finding not previously reported in the medical literature. The study was entitled “Intraindividual Comparison of ¹⁸F-FDG and ¹⁸F-PSMA PET/CT in Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer.”
Global Leadership of Brazilian Nuclear Medicine
The institutional landscape of Nuclear Medicine was represented by Dr. Elba Etchebehere, nuclear medicine physician, professor at FCM/Unicamp, principal investigator at CancerThera, and president of the Brazilian Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SBMN). She was featured in strategic global sessions, including one organized by the World Federation of Nuclear Medicine and Biology (WFNMB).
Her participation coincided with Brazil’s growing leadership within the WFNMB, reflected in the efforts led by Etchebehere through the SBMN to bring the Federation’s World Congress to Rio de Janeiro in 2030 and to secure Brazil’s representation on the organization’s governing board for the next four years.
Co-authored with Drs. John O. Prior, Hedi Hricak, Zachary J. Ward, Giovani G. Cerri, and Andrew M. Scott, her presentation was entitled “Brazilian Nuclear Medicine in the Context of the Historic Resolution of the World Health Organization – WHA 78.13: Strengthening Medical Imaging,” highlighting the country’s commitment and alignment with the new WHO guidelines for expanding medical imaging capacity.
Etchebehere emphasized the value of international exchange: “We are grateful for the opportunity to participate in the meeting and to share the Brazilian perspective in an environment of global dialogue, contributing to initiatives that advance Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging for the benefit of patients.”
Innovative Approach in Rare Tumors
Dr. Ellen Nogueira Lima, a biologist and postdoctoral researcher affiliated with CancerThera under the supervision of Etchebehere, presented the study “Neoadjuvant Theranostics in a Patient with a Desmoid Tumor: A Case Report,” exploring the application of the theranostic model in desmoid tumors—a rare type of benign connective tissue tumor (such as those arising from muscles and tendons) that is nevertheless highly aggressive locally and infiltrative, often invading adjacent tissues and significantly affecting patients’ quality of life.
“Furthermore, because these tumors are rare and composed of different cell types, structures, and morphological characteristics, they often represent a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge. Currently, there are still few studies evaluating theranostic approaches in this tumor type,” explains Lima. According to the researcher, the proposed approach was motivated by the possibility of offering a less invasive therapeutic alternative while preserving the function of the affected limb.
Highlighting the importance of participating in an event of the magnitude of the SNMMI Annual Meeting, she shared her enthusiasm regarding the reception of the study: “It was an extremely enriching experience, both scientifically and professionally. I had the opportunity to meet and speak with leading experts in the field, opening possibilities for future international collaborations.”
For Lima, the experience also validated the research lines being pursued at the center. “It became clear how innovative and still underexplored internationally the CancerThera approach is, particularly in investigating PSMA as a potential theranostic target in different tumor types beyond prostate cancer,” she concludes.
Text: Romulo Santana Osthues | Photos: Personal archive
