Prospective Evaluation of 68Ga-FAPI PET in Biliary Cancers
For patients and families
In plain language
An automatic summary of structured registry data. It is an orientation aid, not a substitute for the official protocol or a physician assessment.
- What is being studied
- The protocol lists: gallium-68-Fibroblast Activation Protein Inhibitor.
- Who it may be relevant to
- Registry conditions: Gall Bladder Cancer, Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma (Icc). Basic parameters: 18 years — 90 years · All.
- What needs checking
- Age, condition and sex are only basic indicators. Prior treatment, laboratory values and other mandatory requirements appear in the eligibility criteria below.
- Where it takes place
- India
- Next step
- Save the trial, show it to the treating physician, and confirm current recruitment with the study center. Costs, documents and travel →
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Official title
FAP 2: Utility of Gallium-68-Fibroblast Activation Protein Inhibitor (FAPI) PET in Biliary Tract Cancers: A Prospective Study
Overview
The goal of this prospective observational study is to evaluate whether Gallium-68 Fibroblast Activation Protein Inhibitor (FAPI) PET/CT can improve detection, staging, and recurrence assessment in adult patients (≥18 years) with suspected or confirmed biliary tract cancers, including gallbladder cancer, cholangiocarcinoma, and post-treatment suspected recurrence. The main question(s) this study aims to answer are: Can FAPI PET/CT provide greater sensitivity, specificity and diagnostic accuracy for primary tumors, nodal disease, and metastatic lesions compared to standard FDG PET/CT? Does FAPI PET/CT offer additional diagnostic yield that may affect clinical decision-making and staging, potentially reducing need for invasive staging procedures? Researchers will compare FAPI PET/CT with FDG PET/CT to see if FAPI improves detection of metastatic or recurrent disease, especially peritoneal or liver metastasis and lymph node involvement. Participants will: Provide written informed consent. Undergo FAPI PET/CT imaging (baseline and/or at suspected biochemical or radiologic recurrence). Have quantitative imaging parameters evaluated (SUVmax, tumor-to-liver ratios, metabolic volume). May undergo comparison with FDG PET/CT and/or follow-up imaging or histopathology as gold standard.
Detailed description
Biliary tract cancers frequently present at an advanced stage and require accurate staging to guide treatment decisions such as surgery, systemic therapy, or palliative management. Although 18 F-FDG PET/CT is widely used in clinical practice, its diagnostic performance is limited in detecting small primary lesions, nodal metastasis, liver metastasis, and peritoneal carcinomatosis. Gallium-68 Fibroblast Activation Protein Inhibitor (FAPI) PET/CT is a novel imaging technology that targets cancer-associated fibroblasts, which are abundant in the desmoplastic stroma characteristic of biliary tract cancers. Early evidence suggests that FAPI PET/CT may provide improved lesion detectability and tumor-to-background contrast compared to FDG PET/CT.
This prospective observational study will evaluate the clinical utility of Ga-68 FAPI PET/CT for initial staging and suspected recurrence in patients with biliary tract cancers. Diagnostic performance metrics (sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV, and semi-quantitative PET parameters such as SUVmax and metabolic volume) will be assessed and compared with FDG PET/CT and/or follow-up imaging or histopathology as the gold standard. The study aims to determine the incremental diagnostic contribution of FAPI PET/CT and its potential impact on clinical decision-making.
Findings from this research may help define the role of FAPI PET/CT as a complementary or alternative imaging modality in staging and restaging of biliary tract cancers and may support future prospective multicenter trials.
Interventions
- Diagnostic test gallium-68-Fibroblast Activation Protein Inhibitor
Gallium-68 Fibroblast Activation Protein Inhibitor (Ga-68 FAPI) is a radiolabeled molecular imaging tracer used for PET/CT imaging. It targets Fibroblast Activation Protein (FAP), which is highly expressed on cancer-associated fibroblasts within the tumor microenvironment in many epithelial malignancies, including biliary tract cancers. Ga-68 FAPI PET/CT provides high tumor uptake and improved tumor-to-background contrast, which may enhance detection of primary tumors, nodal disease, and distant
Primary outcome measures
- Diagnostic accuracy of Ga-68 FAPI PET/CT for detection of metastatic or recurrent disease (measured as sensitivity and specificity) [Time frame: 1 Year]
Eligibility criteria
Inclusion criteria
- Suspected biliary tract cancers- iHCC and GBC
- Male and females ≥ 18 years;
- Upfront advanced (suspected T3 ,T4, N1, vascular involvement)
- iGBC (residual, N1)
- Suspected post-treatment recurrence (biochemical or radiological)
Exclusion criteria
- Informed consent withdrawal
- Concurrent Malignancy
Criteria are shown verbatim from the registry (in English). Final eligibility is always assessed by the study center.
Healthy volunteers: No
Study design
- Observational model
- Other
Study locations
India · 1 center
- Dr.Shraddha Patkar — Mumbai
Publications
- Pang Y, Zhao L, Luo Z, Hao B, Wu H, Lin Q, Sun L, Chen H. Comparison of 68Ga-FAPI and 18F-FDG Uptake in Gastric, Duodenal, and Colorectal Cancers. Radiology. 2021 Feb;298(2):393-402. doi: 10.1148/radiol.2020203275. Epub 2020 Dec 1. PMID 33258746
- Chang MC, Chen JH, Liang JA, Huang WS, Cheng KY, Kao CH. PET or PET/CT for detection of peritoneal carcinomatosis: a meta-analysis. Clin Nucl Med. 2013 Aug;38(8):623-9. doi: 10.1097/RLU.0b013e318299609f. PMID 23797225
- Kim SJ, Lee SW. Diagnostic accuracy of 18F-FDG PET/CT for detection of peritoneal carcinomatosis; a systematic review and meta-analysis. Br J Radiol. 2018 Jan;91(1081):20170519. doi: 10.1259/bjr.20170519. Epub 2017 Nov 21. PMID 29099613
- Zhao L, Pang Y, Luo Z, Fu K, Yang T, Zhao L, Sun L, Wu H, Lin Q, Chen H. Role of [68Ga]Ga-DOTA-FAPI-04 PET/CT in the evaluation of peritoneal carcinomatosis and comparison with [18F]-FDG PET/CT. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging. 2021 Jun;48(6):1944-1955. doi: 10.1007/s00259-020-05146-6. Epub 2021 Jan 7. PMID 33415432
- Lan L, Zhang S, Xu T, Liu H, Wang W, Feng Y, Wang L, Chen Y, Qiu L. Prospective Comparison of 68Ga-FAPI versus 18F-FDG PET/CT for Tumor Staging in Biliary Tract Cancers. Radiology. 2022 Sep;304(3):648-657. doi: 10.1148/radiol.213118. Epub 2022 May 17. PMID 35579524
- Loktev A, Lindner T, Burger EM, Altmann A, Giesel F, Kratochwil C, Debus J, Marme F, Jager D, Mier W, Haberkorn U. Development of Fibroblast Activation Protein-Targeted Radiotracers with Improved Tumor Retention. J Nucl Med. 2019 Oct;60(10):1421-1429. doi: 10.2967/jnumed.118.224469. Epub 2019 Mar 8. PMID 30850501
- Lindner T, Loktev A, Altmann A, Giesel F, Kratochwil C, Debus J, Jager D, Mier W, Haberkorn U. Development of Quinoline-Based Theranostic Ligands for the Targeting of Fibroblast Activation Protein. J Nucl Med. 2018 Sep;59(9):1415-1422. doi: 10.2967/jnumed.118.210443. Epub 2018 Apr 6. PMID 29626119
- Goere D, Wagholikar GD, Pessaux P, Carrere N, Sibert A, Vilgrain V, Sauvanet A, Belghiti J. Utility of staging laparoscopy in subsets of biliary cancers : laparoscopy is a powerful diagnostic tool in patients with intrahepatic and gallbladder carcinoma. Surg Endosc. 2006 May;20(5):721-5. doi: 10.1007/s00464-005-0583-x. Epub 2006 Feb 27. PMID 16508808
Identifiers
NCT: NCT07337850 · Study no:- 4455 · 6429