Molecular Imaging of Recurrent and Metastatic Prostate Cancer

Although bone-scanning agents remain important for the detection of bone metastasis, the most common site of distant disease in prostate cancer, novel molecular imaging techniques are entering into clinical practice that provide new opportunities to both detect and characterize sites of involvement by prostate cancer, particularly in the setting of recurrent or advanced metastatic disease based on biochemical, clinical or imaging criteria. These approaches can define disease burden, guide locoregional salvage therapies, and select and monitor systemic treatment. While a wide array of tracers is available, the clinical role of broad classes of agents will be reviewed. An exciting and emerging role of molecular imaging is its use in selecting patients for radionuclide therapy.