# Somatostatin receptor expression by PET (SSTR-positive)

Source: https://onco.cc/biomarkers/sstr-pet-expression/  
OnCo record `sstr-pet-expression` (Biomarker). Data CC BY-NC 4.0, attribute "Data from OnCo (onco.cc)"; commercial use needs a licence.

## TL;DR

Somatostatin receptor-positive means a neuroendocrine tumour takes up a DOTATATE tracer on PET. It is the requirement for lutetium-177 dotatate and the marker that predicts response to octreotide and lanreotide.

## Summary

Gallium-68 or copper-64 DOTATATE PET (Netspot, Detectnet) images SSTR2; the Lutathera label covers somatostatin receptor-positive gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumours, including foregut, midgut and hindgut, in adults and children 12 and over, with the NETTER-1 trial requiring uptake at least equal to liver (Krenning score 2 or higher) on every lesion. The Krenning scale (0 to 4, from no uptake to greater than spleen or kidney) is the historic scintigraphy score carried over to PET. Actinium-225 DOTATATE and other radioligands in trials use the same selection.

## Fields

- Kind: Biomarker
- Last checked: 2026-09-23
- Also known as: SSTR PET positive; somatostatin receptor-positive; SSTR-positive; DOTATATE PET positive; Krenning score; SSTR2 expression; octreoscan positive
- Tags: biomarker; pet

## Sources

- Lutathera prescribing information (DailyMed): https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=72d1a024-00b7-418a-b36e-b2cb48f2ab55

## Connected records

- biomarkers: [Ki-67 index (proliferation by IHC)](https://onco.cc/biomarkers/ki-67-index/), [PSMA expression by PET (PSMA-positive)](https://onco.cc/biomarkers/psma-pet-expression/)
- cancers: [Lung neuroendocrine tumours (typical and atypical carcinoid)](https://onco.cc/cancers/lung-net/), [Neuroendocrine tumours](https://onco.cc/cancers/neuroendocrine/), [Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours](https://onco.cc/cancers/pancreatic-net/)
- drugs: [Actinium-225 DOTATATE](https://onco.cc/drugs/ryz101/), [Gallium-68 DOTATATE (and Cu-64 DOTATATE)](https://onco.cc/drugs/ga68-dotatate/), [Lutetium-177 dotatate](https://onco.cc/drugs/lutathera/)
- terms: [Neuroendocrine tumour grade (Ki-67) and WHO classification](https://onco.cc/terms/net-grade-ki67/), [PRRT (peptide receptor radionuclide therapy)](https://onco.cc/terms/prrt-term/), [Theranostics](https://onco.cc/terms/theranostics/)
- targets: [Somatostatin receptor 2](https://onco.cc/targets/sstr2/)

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JSON: https://onco.cc/api/v1/entities/sstr-pet-expression.json