The Student Scientific Circle affiliated with the Department of Nuclear Medicine at the Medical University of Gdańsk has published the findings of its research into the role of fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT) in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). The study was published in late September 2026 in BMC Medical Imaging, a first-quartile (Q1) journal with an impact factor of 3.9.
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is a severe, chronic and progressive disease that predominantly affects men over the age of 50. The condition can lead to a progressive decline in lung function, with a median overall survival of approximately 3–5 years.
In the published study, the young researchers worked under the supervision of Wojciech Cytawa, M.D., Ph.D., D.Sc., Head of the Department of Nuclear Medicine at the Medical University of Gdańsk and supervisor of the Student Scientific Circle. In collaboration with physicians from the Department of Pneumonology, headed by Prof. Sławomir Żegleń, they investigated the clinical significance of metabolic parameters derived from ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT imaging.
The findings indicate that metabolic parameters assessed using ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT correlate with the severity of clinical manifestations of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Importantly, these parameters may also have prognostic value, potentially helping to identify patients receiving antifibrotic treatment with tyrosine kinase inhibitors who are more likely to achieve longer progression-free survival (PFS).
Molecular imaging may therefore provide a valuable complement to existing methods of assessing patients with IPF and could, in the future, support a more precise evaluation of disease progression.
The team presented its preliminary findings at the 19th Scientific Congress of the Polish Society of Nuclear Medicine, held in Łódź from 21st to 23rd May 2026.
The researchers plan to continue investigating the potential applications of PET imaging in the diagnosis and prognostic assessment of patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. They are currently seeking funding for a prospective study using the novel radiotracer ¹⁸F-FAPI (fibroblast activation protein inhibitor).
¹⁸F-FAPI PET/CT enables the non-invasive assessment of fibroblast activity in affected lung tissue. As fibroblast activation plays a key role in the development of fibrosis, this radiotracer may eventually allow for a more accurate assessment of disease activity. Compared with conventional ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT imaging, the technique may provide additional information that could help identify patients at greater risk of disease progression or death.
The planned research reflects ongoing advances in molecular imaging techniques, which may ultimately support more individualised approaches to the diagnosis, monitoring and treatment of patients with fibrotic lung diseases.
Publication details
Title: Association of fibrotic-lung 18F-FDG uptake with GAP severity and clinical outcomes in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: an exploratory retrospective study
Authors: Charles Ward, Aleksandra Oppmann-Ward, Stephen Wilczynski, Johannes Korneliussen, Sławomir Żegleń, Katarzyna Rogoza, Wojciech Cytawa
Journal: BMC Medical Imaging
