SNM's 2009 Annual Meeting showcases latest advances in molecular imaging and nuclear medicine

World's leading researchers and molecular imaging specialists convened in Toronto to share groundbreaking research

Published: 07/02/2009

RESTON, VA, USA - (HealthTech Wire / News) - More than 5,800 physicians, technologists and members of the molecular imaging and nuclear medicine communities met in Toronto for SNM's 56th Annual Meeting, held June 13–17. The meeting featured more than 1,600 scientific papers that represented groundbreaking research and development worldwide in nuclear medicine and molecular imaging.

"SNM's 56th Annual Meeting brought to the forefront the many advances that have made molecular imaging and nuclear medicine an indispensable tool for so many patients and physicians," said SNM President Michael Graham, M.D., Ph.D., who was inducted during the meeting. "As researchers continue to learn from each other and build on the latest developments, these safe, noninvasive molecular imaging tools and procedures will one day make the promise of personalized medicine a reality for many patients."

A highlight of the Annual Meeting's first plenary session, held Sunday, June 14, was the Henry J. Wagner Jr. Lectureship, delivered by John F. Valliant, Ph.D., acting director of the McMaster Institute of Applied Radiation Sciences, McMaster University, Ontario, Canada. Valliant's lecture, entitled "A Bridge Not Too Far: Linking Disciplines through Molecular Imaging Probes," described cutting-edge advances in chemistry for developing new radioactive probes and how these will be incorporated into molecular medicine.

Two prestigious SNM awards were also presented at the session. Alan Davison, Alun G. Jones and Michael J. Abrams received the Georg Charles de Hevesy Nuclear Pioneer Award for their contributions to the development of the nuclear medicine isotope technetium-99, which have allowed millions of heart disease patients to undergo noninvasive molecular imaging tests. In addition, Michael R. Kilbourn, Ph.D., was presented the Aebersold Award for Outstanding Achievement in Basic Nuclear Medicine Science for his work in developing radiopharmaceuticals and radiotracers.

At the second plenary session on Monday, June 15, David W. Townsend, Ph.D., director of the cancer imaging center and tracer development program at the University of Tennessee Medical Center, Knoxville, Tenn., presented the Cassen lectureship, entitled "Laying Ghosts to Rest: Adding Structure to Function." The lecture explored how multimodality imaging devices offer a more complete picture of disease than any two modalities acquired separately, leading to improvements in disease staging, restaging, treatment planning and monitoring response to therapy. Also on June 15, SNM leadership's focus on the medical isotope crisis at a press conference raised the public's awareness of the value of molecular imaging and nuclear medicine. SNM and the Atomic Energy Institute issued a joint communiqué on the isotope crisis that stressed the importance of ensuring medical isotopes are available for the benefit of millions of patients who rely on noninvasive tests and procedures.

The need for sound, rigorous clinical trials for molecular imaging and nuclear medicine procedures was also a focus of the meeting. SNM's Clinical Trials Network symposium, which took place June 13, brought together manufacturers, researchers, imaging centers and regulatory agencies to discuss how to prepare for clinical trials across multiple imaging sites and the importance of standardization.

As in previous years, Henry N. Wagner, M.D., a professor at Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Md., and past president of SNM, concluded the 56th Annual Meeting with an overview of the cutting-edge research presented throughout the sessions. The research demonstrated groundbreaking advances in many areas, including research on a radioactive skin patch that successfully treats basal cell carcinoma, a study on whole-body imaging of rats with combined PET-MRI technology and research on a new radiotherapy to treat recurrent prostate cancer.