Nuclear Medicine Seeks to Fix Research Fragmentation
The field aims to move beyond small pilot studies to drive clinical standards through large-scale multicenter collaboration.
Updated on Oct. 21, 2026 in Nuclear
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Research fragmentation remains a significant hurdle in nuclear medicine, hindering the transition from pilot studies to established clinical practice. This issue was highlighted by Roslyn Francis at the October 20, 2026, European Association of Nuclear Medicine meeting.
Why it matters
Fragmented data collection limits the generation of high-quality evidence required for clinical adoption and regulatory approval. Addressing this is essential to moving diagnostics, such as PET imaging, from promising research into standardized care.
The RANO PET working group found that of 25 studies on amino acid PET imaging, only one was a multicenter trial compared to 24 smaller-scale or retrospective efforts. This limited scope contrast with the proPSMA trial, which successfully enrolled 302 patients across 10 sites to drive policy change.
The players
Roslyn Francis
An expert in nuclear medicine who presented on research fragmentation at the European Association of Nuclear Medicine meeting.
RANO PET working group
A research consortium focused on standardizing PET imaging criteria for brain tumors, specifically diffuse gliomas.
The details
The proPSMA trial demonstrates the necessity of cross-disciplinary collaboration, involving nuclear medicine, medical oncology, urology, radiation oncology, and clinical trial support to produce actionable data. In contrast, the current landscape is often characterized by small-scale pilot studies that fail to yield the robust evidence needed for widespread clinical standard-setting. Such fragmentation delays the translation of diagnostic tools into established protocols, unlike the proPSMA results that directly informed PSMA-PET approval in the U.S. and Australia.
Timeline
2020: ProPSMA trial results published in The Lancet.
2024: RANO PET working group published recommendations.
2025: Nuclear medicine societies signed camera credentialing agreement.
October 20, 2026: Roslyn Francis presented at EANM meeting.
The Tech Race
The push for consolidated research follows the success of the proPSMA trial, which demonstrated how large-scale, multicenter data can successfully navigate regulatory hurdles. This shift marks a departure from the reliance on fragmented pilot studies that currently characterize much of the glioma imaging field.
Clinicians and patients can expect improved diagnostic reliability as the field moves toward larger, multi-site studies rather than isolated pilots. This transition will ultimately clarify when and how advanced PET imaging should be integrated into standard patient care pathways.
The takeaway
The transition to multicenter trial structures is the primary indicator of maturity for nuclear medicine diagnostics. Observers should track whether future RANO PET recommendations explicitly mandate multicenter participation for new clinical guideline adoption.
Further reading
Explore ongoing developments in the Nuclear sector to see how clinical standards are evolving.
Source note: This article includes information reported by AuntMinnie.
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Should medical research prioritize large-scale collaboration over smaller independent studies to better improve patient care?
