Berkeley Lab Developed New Cancer Imaging Technique

Researchers created a method to track medical radioisotopes for more precise prostate tumor detection.

Updated on Oct. 1, 2026 in Cancer

Berkeley Lab Developed New Cancer Imaging Technique

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Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory researchers have developed a medical imaging technique called TOF-CGI. The method successfully identified prostate tumors in a human pilot study by imaging actinium-225.

Why it matters

Existing medical scanners struggle to image actinium-225, which is used in targeted alpha therapy. This new technique provides the resolution and efficiency necessary to track the isotope within the body accurately.

The technique tracks actinium-225, a radioisotope with a half-life of 10 days that delivers a dose 100 times higher than conventional radiotracers. Researchers utilized GPU computation to accelerate data reconstruction.

The players

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

Founded in 1931, this research facility has been the site of 17 Nobel Prizes and numerous breakthroughs in nuclear science.

UC San Francisco

This university acted as a collaborator on the pilot study to validate the imaging technique in a clinical setting.

National Institutes of Health

This federal agency provided the foundational funding support for the development of the TOF-CGI technology.

The details

The TOF-CGI algorithm pinpoints actinium-225 decay locations by using gamma-ray pairs, which are then reconstructed into 3D images. This process was accelerated using GPU computation at the National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center to verify results against standard PET scans.

John Lawrence began exploring cyclotron-produced medical radioisotopes in 1935.
Berkeley Lab contributed to the first total-body PET scanner in 2015.
The imaging technique received a 2026 R&D 100 Award.

The Big Picture

This research follows a pattern set by the National Institutes of Health, which supports the translation of nuclear physics innovations into clinical oncology tools. This discovery shifts the discipline by enabling high-resolution imaging for therapeutic radioisotopes that were previously difficult to monitor.

This imaging advancement could eventually offer patients undergoing alpha therapy more precise monitoring of treatment effectiveness. It provides clinicians with better tools to track the movement of cancer-fighting radioisotopes, potentially improving individualized treatment plans.

The takeaway

This technology represents a significant leap in nuclear medicine by bridging the gap between therapeutic isotope delivery and diagnostic imaging. Patients may see future benefits as the technique evolves to work with full-body scanners and broader isotope applications.