Blue Earth Diagnostics to Present Research on Precision Molecular Imaging at ASTRO 2026

Blue Earth Diagnostics, a part of the Bracco Group, has announced upcoming research focused on how precision molecular imaging can enhance cancer care, especially when conventional imaging might not clearly identify the disease's extent or location.

The findings will be presented during the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) 2026 Annual Meeting, scheduled for September 26–30 in Boston. The research emphasizes two specific clinical situations involving uncertainty in diagnosis.

For recurrent prostate cancer, escalating prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels can suggest that cancer has returned without indicating its precise location. The first presentation will detail an intra-patient, head-to-head comparator study of POSLUMA (flotufolastat F 18) and piflufolastat F 18, analyzing detection rates in men with biochemical recurrence.

The second study pertains to patients with brain metastases. It assesses the utility of fluciclovine F 18 PET/CT in conjunction with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) following surgical intervention. This scenario poses challenges, as post-operative changes can complicate the differentiation between treatment-related alterations and actual tumor progression.

Earlier results from the head-to-head study revealed significantly reduced urinary radioactivity with POSLUMA compared to piflufolastat F 18, suggesting less interference in detecting recurrent disease at lower PSA concentrations.

At ASTRO 2026, the new analysis will delve into clinical factors affecting detection rates using POSLUMA and piflufolastat F 18 in men exhibiting biochemical recurrence at low PSA levels (≤0.5 ng/mL) post-radical prostatectomy. Key variables under consideration include initial PSA level, duration since radical prostatectomy, initial disease stage, and the International Society of Urological Pathology (ISUP) Grade Group.

Jack R. Andrews, M.D., Urologic Oncologist and Assistant Professor of Urology at Mayo Clinic, noted, "Biochemical recurrence after radical prostatectomy presents an important clinical challenge because a rising PSA level can signal recurrent disease without identifying where it is located. This first head-to-head PSMA PET trial allows us to compare two PSMA PET imaging agents in the same patients and better understand how clinical factors may affect detection rates, particularly at low PSA levels. These insights can help inform how molecular imaging is used in the evaluation of patients with biochemically recurrent prostate cancer."

The examination of brain metastases will stem from a prospective, single-institution trial assessing fluciclovine F 18 PET/CT in adults who have undergone surgical resection followed by post-operative fractionated stereotactic radiosurgery. This study aims to determine whether the combination of PET imaging and MRI can enhance the understanding of the resection's completeness, improve target volume delineation for radiation treatment, and facilitate ongoing monitoring for recurrence.

Marco Campione, President and CEO of Blue Earth Diagnostics, remarked, "In multidisciplinary cancer care, connecting the right imaging insights with the treatment decisions that follow is critical. Our presence at ASTRO 2026 reflects our continued commitment to advancing the field of precision molecular imaging through focused science and clinical research. From identifying suspected recurrent prostate cancer when PSA levels are low to exploring how PET imaging may help better define and monitor brain metastases following surgery, this research builds on our experience in molecular imaging while helping expand what these technologies can reveal to inform patient care."

For further details on the sessions and a comprehensive list of scientific presentations, please refer to the ASTRO 2026 Annual Meeting online program.