Preview

Journal of oncology: diagnostic radiology and radiotherapy

Advanced search

Assessment of PET/CT in Russia Based on Data from the «PET-Technology» Network (2021–2024)

https://doi.org/10.37174/2587-7593-2026-9-2-15-27

Abstract

Relevance: Despite the global expansion of PET/CT diagnostics, systematic data on its regional distribution and operational dynamics in the Russian Federation remain lacking.

Purpose: To conduct a comprehensive analysis of quantitative and qualitative indicators of the «PET-Technology» PET/CT network performance in Russia from 2021 to 2024.

Materials and methods: A complete enumeration observational study was performed using data from 29 regions across 6 federal districts, focusing on key indicators: trends in imaging volumes, equipment density by federal district, distribution of clinical diagnostic purposes, and the spectrum of radiopharmaceuticals used.

Results: Absolute imaging volumes demonstrated growth; however, relative accessibility indicators significantly declined (p < 0.05), reflecting deepening regional disparities. Clinical practice aligns with international standards. More than 35 % of studies are dedicated to therapy monitoring in malignant neoplasms. Non-oncological indications are virtually absent (<0.3 %). Furthermore, 98.7 % of PET/ CT studies were performed using 18F-FDG.

Conclusions: These findings may serve as a reference for private-sector planning and as a catalyst for establishing a national PET/CT monitoring system, optimizing territorial resource allocation, and improving equity in access to nuclear diagnostics.

About the Authors

A. S. Aladin
Branc «Center of Nuclear Medicine and Diagnostics, Moscow» of «K+31 Clinic»
Russian Federation

Alexander S. Aladin

86, Bldg. 3, Profsoyuznaya Str., Moscow, 117485


Competing Interests:

Nikolai V. Nudnov is a member of the editorial counsil of the journal “Journal of oncology: diagnostic radiology and radiotherapy” but had no role in the decision to publish this article. The article has undergone the journal’s established peer-review process. The authors have declared no other conflicts of interest.



N. V. Nudnov
Russian Scientific Center of Roentgenoradiology
Russian Federation

Nikolai V. Nudnov

86 Profsoyuznaya Str., Moscow, 117997


Competing Interests:

Nikolai V. Nudnov is a member of the editorial counsil of the journal “Journal of oncology: diagnostic radiology and radiotherapy” but had no role in the decision to publish this article. The article has undergone the journal’s established peer-review process. The authors have declared no other conflicts of interest.



P. A. Aladin
Institute of Management and Digital Technologies, Russian University of Transport
Russian Federation

Platon A. Aladin

9, Bldg. 9, Obraztsova Str., Moscow, 127994


Competing Interests:

Nikolai V. Nudnov is a member of the editorial counsil of the journal “Journal of oncology: diagnostic radiology and radiotherapy” but had no role in the decision to publish this article. The article has undergone the journal’s established peer-review process. The authors have declared no other conflicts of interest.



References

1. Meikle SR, Sossi V, Roncali E, et al. Quantitative PET in the 2020s: a roadmap. Physics in Medicine and Biology. 2021;66(6):06RM01. https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6560/abd4f7.

2. Hansen SB, Bender D. Advancement in Production of Radiotrac­ers. Seminars in Nuclear Medicine. 2022;52(3):266-75. https://doi.org/10.1053/j.semnuclmed.2021.10.003.

3. Belcari N, Bisogni MG, Del Guerra A. Positron emission tomography: its 65 years and beyond. Riv Nuovo Cim. 2023;46:693-785. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40766-024-00050-3.

4. Petersen H, Holdgaard PC, Madsen PH, et al. FDG PET/CT in cancer: comparison of actual use with literature-based recommendations. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging. 2016;43(4):695-706. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00259-015-3217-0.

5. Ebner R, Sheikh GT, Brendel M, et al. ESR Essentials: staging and re­staging with FDG-PET/CT in oncology — practice recommendations by the European Society for Hybrid, Molecular and Translational Imaging. Eur Radiol. 2025;35:1894-902. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-024-11094-8.

6. Ambrosini V, Kunikowska J, Baudin E, et al. Consensus on molecular imaging and theranostics in neuroendocrine neoplasms. Eur J Can­cer. 2021;146:56-73. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejca.2021.01.008.

7. Solodkiy VA, Fomin DK. Present-day trends in development of nuclear medicine in the russian federation and the world at large. Problems Of Oncology. 2009;55(4):413-5. EDN KYLPIB. (In Russ.).

8. Cabras S, Manera U, Di Pede F, et al. Role of 2-[18F]FDG-PET as a biomarker of upper motor neuron involvement in amyotrophic lat­eral sclerosis. Journal of neurology. 2025;272(12):766. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00415-025-13501-6.

9. Yamanaka K, Okada K, Kato D, et al. Usefulness of 18-Fluorodeox­yglucose Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography in Establishing the Optimal Surgical Strategy for Prosthetic Aor­tic Graft Infection. European journal of cardio-thoracic surgery. 2025;67(12):ezaf374. https://doi.org/10.1093/ejcts/ezaf374.

10. Greuez C, Lorenzo-Villalba N, Bessac DM, et al. Interest of 18F-Fluo­rodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomog­raphy for Fever and Inflammatory Syndrome of Unknown Origin in Elderly Patients: A Retrospective Real-Life Single-Center Study from a University Referral Hospital. J Clin Med. 2025;14(4):1188. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm14041188.

11. Debus J, von Götze I, Brandt J, et al. 68Ga-FAPI PET/CT for non-in­vasive characterization and activity assessment of ulcerative colitis and Crohn´s disease. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging. 2026. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00259-025-07686-1.

12. Joseph J, Birnie D, Nery PB, et al. Positive fluorodeoxyglucose pos­itron emission tomography in Lyme myocarditis: A case report. HeartRhythm case reports. 2025;11(12):1359-1362. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hrct.2025.10.002.

13. Ansheles AA, Shimchuk GG, Bruskin AB, et al. Prospects for imaging atherosclerosis using positron emission tomography in the Russian Federation. Aterosklerosis and Dislipidemy. 2022;(4):5-9. https://doi.org/10.34687/2219-8202.JAD.2022.04.0001. (In Russ.).

14. Nag S, Stepanov V, Takano A, et al. Development of 18F/11C-Labe­led Pyrrolo-Pyridine/Pyrimidine LRRK2 Selective PET Radioligands. Pharmaceuticals. 2025;18(12):1790. https://doi.org/10.3390/ph18121790.

15. Bentestuen M, Dahlsgaard-Wallenius S, Stolberg MMK, et al. Non­malignant findings on FAPI PET: An updated rapid systematic review of the literature. Semin Nucl Med. 2025. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1053/j.semnuclmed.2025.11.015.

16. Wang G, Lai Y, Chen D, et al. First-in-Human PET Imaging of Pros­tate Cancer Using [68Ga]Ga-AZ-093 and Its Nitroimidazole-Conju­gated Derivative [68Ga]Ga-AZ-NI-093. Journal of nuclear medicine. 2026;67(1):105-112. https://doi.org/10.2967/jnumed.125.270703.

17. Zhao M, Wei H, Wang M, et al. Molecular imaging of fibroblast ac­tivation in systemic sclerosis using [18F]AlF-NOTA-FAPI-04 PET/CT: a prospective cohort study. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging. 2025. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00259-025-07586-4.

18. Kirienko M, Gelardi F, Fiz F, et al. Personalised PET imaging in oncol­ogy: an umbrella review of meta-analyses to guide the appropriate radiopharmaceutical choice and indication. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Im­aging. 2024;52(1):208-224. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00259-024-06882-9.

19. Giammarile F, Castellucci P, Dierckx R, et al. Non-FDG PET/CT in Di­agnostic Oncology: a pictorial review. European J Hybrid Imaging. 2019;3(1):20. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41824-019-0066-2.

20. Zhang M, Qian J, Jia Y, et al. Translocator Protein 18 kDa-Targeted Total-Body PET Imaging Reveals Immune-Specific Vascular Inflamma­tion in Large-Vessel Vasculitis: A Prospective Head-to-Head Compar­ison with 18F-FDG. Journal Nucl Med. 2025. Advance online publica­tion. https://doi.org/10.2967/jnumed.125.270910.

21. Godinez F, Mingels C, Bayerlein R, et al. Total Body PET/CT: Fu­ture Aspects. Sem Nucl Med. 2025;55(1):107-115. https://doi.org/10.1053/j.semnuclmed.2024.10.011.

22. Aide N, Lason C, Desmonts C, et al. Advances in PET/CT Technolo­gy: An Update. Sem Nucl Med. 2022;52(3):286-301. https://doi.org/10.1053/j.semnuclmed.2021.10.005.

23. Islam MR, Zohra FT, Watabe H. Current Applications and Advance­ments of State-of-the-Art technology of PET-CT. Bangladesh J Nucl Med. 2025;28(1):149-155. https://doi.org/10.3329/bjnm.v28i1.79547.

24. Grigoryan A, Bouyoucef S, Sathekge M, et al. Development of nucle­ar medicine in Africa. Clin Transl Imaging. 2022;10:101-111. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40336-021-00468-3.

25. Okizaki A, Nishiyama Y, Inui Y, et al. Nuclear medicine practice in Ja­pan: a report of the ninth nationwide survey in 2022. Ann Nucl Med. 2024;38(4):315-327. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12149-024-01905-9.

26. Adam J, Svobodník A, Štěpánová R, et al. Analysis of progres­sion of number and structure of scans performed using PET, PET/CT and PET/MRI in the Czech Republic in 2013–2021. Klin Onkol. 2024;37(4):259-269. https://doi.org/10.48095/ccko2024259.

27. Gallach M, Mikhail Lette M, Abdel-Wahab M, et al. Addressing Glob­al Inequities in Positron Emission Tomography-Computed Tomogra­phy (PET-CT) for Cancer Management: A Statistical Model to Guide Strategic Planning. Medical science monitor. 2020;26:e926544. https://doi.org/10.12659/MSM.926544.

28. Das KJ, Meena JK, Singhal A. Nuclear Oncology in Northeast India: Current scenario, challenges, and way forward. Ann Oncol Res Ther. 2022;2(2):71-76. https://doi.org/10.4103/aort.aort_19_22.

29. Holzgreve A, Hellwig D, Barthel H, et al. PET imaging utilization and trends in Germany: a comprehensive survey. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging. 2025;52(12):4390-4398. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00259-025-07323-x.

30. Canadian Medical Imaging Inventory 2022–2023: PET-CT and PET-MRI: CMII Report. Ottawa (ON): Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health; 2024 Aug. Report No.: HC0024-04. PMID: 39312604. Bookshelf ID: NBK607342.

31. Lynch C, Reguilon I, Langer DL, et al. A comparative analysis: inter­national variation in PET-CT service provision in oncology-an In­ternational Cancer Benchmarking Partnership study. Internation­al J for Quality in Health Care. 2021;33(1):mzaa166. https://doi.org/10.1093/intqhc/mzaa166.

32. Chao YS, Sinclair A, Morrison A, et al. The Canadian Medical Imag­ing Inventory 2019–2020. Ottawa (ON): Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health; 2021 Jan. PMID: 34990091. Bookshelf ID: NBK576053.

33. Shimchuk GG, Bruskin AB, Shimchuk GrG. Opportunities and Prospects for Russia to Create PET Centers Based on Generator Radionuclides. Medical Radiology and Radiation Safety. 2022;67(6):62-66. https://doi.org/10.33266/1024-6177-2022-67-6-62-66. (In Russ.).

34. Kennedy-Dixon TG, McDonnough K, Reid M, et al. Trends in the uti­lization of nuclear medicine technology in Jamaica: Audit of a pri­vate facility. World J Nucl Med. 2020;20(2):129-132. https://doi.org/10.4103/wjnm.WJNM_92_20.

35. Yoon J, Kim H, Woo DH, et al. F-18 FDG PET/CT Clinical Service Trends in Korea from 2018 to 2022: A National Surveillance Study. Nucl Med Mol Imaging. 2025;59(2):117-124. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13139-024-00898-7.

36. Graham MM. The Future of Nuclear Medicine in the United States. J Nucl Med. 2023;64(9):1352-1353. https://doi.org/10.2967/jnumed.122.265314.

37. Lawal IO. Nuclear Medicine Training: Skills and Competencies Required for Practice in the 21st Century. World J Nucl Med. 2023;22(2):75-77. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0043-1769588.

38. Gremillet E, Lemaire B, Prigent A, et al. Nuclear medicine training and practice in France. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging. 2013;40(6):976-978. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00259-013-2352-8.

39. Chipiga LA, Ladanova ER, Vodovatov AV, et al. Trends in the development of nuclear medicine in the Russian Federation for 2015–2020. Radiation Hygiene. 2022;15(4):122-33. https://doi.org/10.21514/1998-426X-2022-15-4-122-133. (In Russ.).

40. Chipiga LA, Kozlova KN, Zvonova IA, et al. The geography and structure of nuclear medicine centres in the Russian Federation in 2025. Radiation Hygiene. 2025;18(2):98-108. https://doi.org/10.21514/1998-426X-2025-18-2-98-108. (In Russ.).

41. Morozov SP, Smolyarchuk MY, Vladzimirskiy AV. PET/CT in Moscow healthcare: Equipment, utilization, and accessibility. REJR. 2018;8(3):318-24. https://doi.org/10.21569/2222-7415-2018-8-3-318-324. (In Russ.).

42. Zavadovsky KV, Vesnina ZhV, Anashbaev ZhZh, et al. Current status of nuclear cardiology in the Russian Federation. Russian Journal of Cardiology. 2022;27(12):5134. https://doi.org/10.15829/1560-4071-2022-5134. (In Russ.).

43. Kalmykov SN. “We should strive to attain Russia’s former standing in nuclear medicine”. Bulletin of the Scientific Centre for Expert Evaluation of Medicinal Products. Regulatory Research and Medicine Evaluation. 2022;12(4):356-8. https://doi.org/10.30895/1991-2919-2022-12-4-356-358. (In Russ.).

44. Uiba VV, Udalov YuD, Lebedev AO, et al. Prospects for implementing nuclear medicine technologies within the FMBA of Russia system.Medical Radiology and Radiation Safety. 2019;64(2):5-10. https://doi.org/10.12737/article_5ca58d9b366162.17322538. (In Russ.).

45. Kurashvili YuB, Kaprin AD. Nuclear medicine in Russia: organizational challenges and solutions. Medical Physics. 2016;(2):43-46. EDN VZGVUV. (In Russ.).

46. Yanovsky A. Competition is essential. Moscow Medicine. 2016;(1):87-89. EDN XCEDVL. (In Russ.).

47. Ishutin SV. Assessment of the involvement of the public–private partnership project of «EMC» in PET/CT diagnostics within Moscow healthcare. Cardiovascular Therapy and Prevention. 2022;21(2S):67. https://doi.org/10.15829/1728-8800-2022-S2. (In Russ.).

48. Aksenova EI, Gorbatov SYu, Kamynina NN. Global vision of sustainable development and healthcare reforms: Megacity and national projects worldwide. Moscow: GBU “NIIOZMM DZM”; 2023. 93 p. ISBN 978-5-907717-84-8. URL: https://niioz.ru/moskovskaya-meditsina/izdaniya-nii/monografii/ (In Russ.).

49. Lang TA, Secic M. How to report statistics in medicine: Annotated guidelines for authors, editors, and reviewers. VP Leonov (Ed.). Moscow. 2011. ISBN 978-5-98811-173-4. EDN QLYKNZ. (In Russ.).

50. Bulanov NM, Suvorov AYu, Blyuss OB, et al. Basic principles of descriptive statistics in medical research. Sechenov Bulletin. 2021;12(3):4-16. https://doi.org/10.47093/2218-7332.2021.12.3.4-16. (In Russ.).

51. da Silva Brandão Rodrigues M, Magne TM, Santos-Oliveira R. Inside Brazilian nuclear medicine: numbers, projections and behaviors. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging. 2023;50(13):3809-16. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00259-023-06386-y.

52. Ebenhan T, Kleynhans J, Zeevaart JR, et al. Non-oncological applica­tions of RGD-based single-photon emission tomography and posi­tron emission tomography agents. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging. 2021;48(5):1414-33. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00259-020-04975-9.

53. Han EJ, Lim CH, Oh J, et al. 18F-FDG PET/CT for Oncological Patients: Procedural Guideline by the Korean Society of Nuclear Medicine Version 2.0. Nucl Med Mol Imaging. 2025;59(6):377-88. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13139-025-00928-y.

54. Suzuki K, Miyake H, Inaki A, et al. Policy recommendations for pro­moting nuclear medicine therapy in Japan 2025, from the Working Group for promoting nuclear medicine therapy of the Japan Society of Clinical Oncology. Int J Clin Oncol. 2025;30(11):2168-77. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10147-025-02858-3.

55. Kefallonitou D, Polycarpou I, Souliotis K, et al. Integrating a Posi­tron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography Into the Na­tional Health System of Cyprus: Will It Return on Its Investment? Front Public Health. 2021;9:607761. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2021.607761.


Review

For citations:


Aladin A.S., Nudnov N.V., Aladin P.A. Assessment of PET/CT in Russia Based on Data from the «PET-Technology» Network (2021–2024). Journal of oncology: diagnostic radiology and radiotherapy. 2026;9(2):15-27. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.37174/2587-7593-2026-9-2-15-27

Views: 81

JATS XML


Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.


ISSN 2587-7593 (Print)
ISSN 2713-167X (Online)