Quantitative dynamic 18FDG-PET and tracer kinetic analysis of soft tissue sarcomas. (August 2013)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Rusten, Espen; Rødal, Jan; Revheim, Mona E.; Skretting, Arne; Bruland, Øyvind S.; Malinen, Eirik
• Is Part Of: Acta oncologica. Volume 52:Number 6(2013)
• Page Start: 1160
• Page End: 1167
• Publication Date: 2013-08
• Subjects: Oncology -- Periodicals; Cancer -- Treatment -- Periodicals; 616.992
• DOI: 10.3109/0284186X.2012.728713
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0284-186X

Abstract

<abstract> <title>Abstract</title> <p> <italic>Purpose.</italic> To study soft tissue sarcomas using dynamic positron emission tomography (PET) with the glucose analog tracer [<sup>18</sup>F]fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (<sup>18</sup>FDG), to investigate correlations between derived PET image parameters and clinical characteristics, and to discuss implications of dynamic PET acquisition (D-PET). <italic>Material and methods.</italic> D-PET images of 11 patients with soft tissue sarcomas were analyzed voxel-by-voxel using a compartment tracer kinetic model providing estimates of transfer rates between the vascular, non-metabolized, and metabolized compartments. Furthermore, standard uptake values (SUVs) in the early (2 min p.i.; <italic>SUV<sub>E</sub></italic>) and late (45 min p.i.; <italic>SUV<sub>L</sub></italic>) phases of the PET acquisition were obtained. The derived transfer rates <italic>K</italic><sub>1</sub>, <italic>k</italic><sub>2</sub> and <italic>k</italic><sub>3</sub>, along with the metabolic rate of <sup>18</sup>FDG (<italic>MR<sub>FDG</sub></italic>) and the vascular fraction <italic>ν<sub>p</sub></italic>, was fused with the computed tomography (CT) images for visual interpretation. Correlations between D-PET imaging parameters and clinical parameters, i.e. tumor size, grade and clinical status, were calculated with a significance level of 0.05. <italic>Results</italic>. The temporal uptake pattern of <sup>18</sup>FDG in the tumor varied considerably from patient to patient. <italic>SUV<sub>E</sub></italic> peak was higher than <italic>SUV<sub>L</sub></italic> peak for four patients. The images of the rate constants showed a systematic pattern, often with elevated intensity in the tumors compared to surrounding tissue. Significant correlations were found between <italic>SUV<sub>E/L</sub></italic> and some of the rate parameters. <italic>Conclusions.</italic> Dynamic <sup>18</sup>FDG-PET may provide additional valuable information on soft tissue sarcomas not obtainable from conventional <sup>18</sup>FDG-PET. The prognostic role of dynamic imaging should be investigated.</p> </abstract>