edotreotide at a glance
Medicine class
Diagnostic radiopharmaceutical and somatostatin analogue
Main role
PET imaging of somatostatin receptor-positive gastro-entero-pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours
Administration
Prepared with gallium-68 and injected into a vein by a nuclear medicine team
After the scan
Drink fluids, pass urine frequently and follow instructions about contact with infants or pregnant people
What is edotreotide used for?
Radiolabelled edotreotide is licensed for diagnostic PET imaging in adults.
Locating primary tumours and metastases in confirmed or suspected well-differentiated gastro-entero-pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours that overexpress somatostatin receptors.
How does edotreotide work?
Edotreotide binds mainly to somatostatin receptor subtype 2, which is commonly abundant on well-differentiated neuroendocrine tumour cells. Once labelled with gallium-68, areas where it accumulates can be detected by a PET scanner. Uptake is not specific to cancer, so other investigations may be needed.
How to take edotreotide
Edotreotide is not taken at home. A specialist team prepares it with gallium-68 and injects it into a vein in a designated nuclear medicine facility.
Follow the imaging department’s preparation instructions.
Drink plenty of water before the examination unless advised otherwise.
Afterwards, drink fluids and pass urine frequently to help remove radioactivity.
Restrict close contact with infants and pregnant people for the period specified by the nuclear medicine team.
edotreotide side effects
Get urgent medical advice
- A serious allergic reaction may cause breathing difficulty, swelling, flushing, widespread redness or itching.
- Exposure involves a small amount of ionising radiation, with a low long-term risk of cancer or hereditary effects.
edotreotide in pregnancy
Tell the nuclear medicine team if you are pregnant, might be pregnant or have missed a period. Pregnancy safety data are unavailable, and the fetus would be exposed to ionising radiation. The investigation should proceed only if considered essential and the expected benefit outweighs the risk.
edotreotide while breastfeeding
Tell the nuclear medicine team if you are breastfeeding. They may delay the investigation. If it proceeds, interrupt breastfeeding for 12 hours, discard expressed milk and restrict close contact with the infant during that period.
edotreotide interactions
Some medicines may reduce receptor visibility and affect image interpretation.
Somatostatin analogues
They compete for somatostatin receptors, so the nuclear medicine team should coordinate the scan with the existing treatment schedule.
High-dose glucocorticoids
Repeated exposure may reduce somatostatin receptor subtype 2 expression and make receptor-positive tumours harder to see.
Common questions about edotreotide
Answers are fully visible for fast scanning and source review.
Is edotreotide a treatment for neuroendocrine cancer?
No. It is a diagnostic PET tracer used to locate somatostatin receptor-positive tumours.
Can the scan prove an area is cancer?
Not by itself. Uptake indicates somatostatin receptors but is not specific to neuroendocrine cancer, so other imaging or tissue tests may be needed.
Can children have edotreotide?
Sources
These sources were used to prepare and review this medicine page.
Prepared and reviewed by the iatroX editorial team.