Fluciclovine PET imaging is the most sensitive imaging modality we have to date that is United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved and available for widespread use. Fluciclovine is a synthetic amino acid that is uptaken by amino acid transporters that are upregulated in many cancer cells, including prostate cancer. A key advantage of fluciclovine is that it has low renal excretion, which is ideal for imaging the pelvis. The sensitivity and specificity of PET imaging with fluciclovine are superior to choline in a direct comparative trial of patients in the biochemically recurrent prostate cancer disease state.1 The FDA approval is in men with suspected prostate cancer recurrence based on elevated prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels following prior treatment.2
