Current status and future needs for standards of radionuclides used in positron emission tomography

Positron Emission Tomography (PET) is being increasingly used as a quantitative technique for detecting disease and monitoring patient progress during treatment. To ensure the validity of the quantitative information derived from the imaging data, it is imperative that all radioactivity measurements that are part of the imaging procedure be traceable to national or international standards. This paper reviews the current status of standards for positron emitting radionuclides (e.g., 18F, 68Ge/68Ga, and 124I) and suggests needs for future work.

► Status of international standards for positron emitters is reviewed. ► Importance of standards and traceability in quantitative PET imaging is discussed. ► Needs for new standards and comparisons are proposed.