Quantification of [18F]FET PET imaging using Long Axial Field-of-View scanner with abbreviated protocols

Long-axial field-of-view (LAFOV) PET systems with high-sensitivity dynamic imaging and robust image-derived input functions (IDIF), facilitate quantitative O-(2-[18F]fluoroethyl)-L-tyrosine ([18F]FET) kinetic modelling without the need for invasive arterial blood sampling. Parameters such as tracer delivery (K1) and volume of distribution (VT) provide significant value for post-treatment tumour characterization and deeper insight into glioma biology. However, standard dynamic protocols typically require a 40-minute scan time, which limits patient throughput in clinical settings. The thesis focuses on the advanced investigation of abbreviated dynamic protocols on a LAFOV PET system to determine if shorter scans reliably reproduce quantitative [18F]FET metrics for routine practice. Mathematical compartmental modeling frameworks are implemented to evaluate the abbreviated protocols and a statistical analysis using absolute percentage error (APE) is performed to assess how these shortened durations impact kinetic parameter estimation and diagnostic accuracy