Prof. Antonia Dimitrakopoulou-Strauss Upon completion of the studies of medicine at the University of Athens in 1988, she joined the Dept. of Radiology of the German Cancer Research Center, where she completed the doctorate in medicine in 1990. The research focus of her was the use of positron emission tomography in oncological patients, in particular the use of new methodological aspects for the combination of basic with translational research. In 2004 she became an Assistant Professor of Nuclear Medicine and in 2007 an Associate Professor. New imaging technologies using studies with radiolabelled cytostatic agents, peptides, amino acids, perfusion and hypoxia as well as proliferation tracers on the field of oncological PET were the focus of her work. Individualization of chemotherapy and prognosis of therapeutic outcome is one of her major research topics. Methodological aspects as well as the relation between molecular imaging data and genomic data is the current field of her research. She is member of several Editorial Boards, reviewer for several scientific journals, congresses and grant proposals and has contributed to the organisation of international scientific meetings.
New hybrid systems, like PET-CT and PET-MRI scanners allow the combined assessment of morphologic and functional changes in tumors. New specific tracers, like labeled small molecules enable the assessment of specific molecular alterations and allow a more accurate diagnosis and staging. New peptides like Ga-68-DOTATOC, Ga-68-Bombesin (BZH3) and Ga-68-PSMA targeting receptor-active tumors have a high potential in a large spectrum of tumors for theranostic approaches. We used Ga-68-DOTATOC in patients with neuroendocrine tumors (NET) and meningiomas for diagnosis and to select patients for endoradiotherapy with Y-90- or Lu-177-DOTATOC therapy. Ga-68-BZH3 was used in patients with treated gastrointestinal tumors (GIST) together with FDG to compare the diagnostic accuracy. Ga-68-HEBD-CC-PSMA was applied in patients with prostate tumors for diagnostic purposes and to select patients for endoradiotherapy with Lu-177-PSMA. Other tracers, like FMISO and FLT will be presented.