Optimized Protocol for 18F-Choline PET/CT in Patients with Biochemically Relapsed Prostate Cancer. (June 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Chondrogiannis, Sotirios; Marzola, Maria Cristina; Grassetto, Gaia; Rampin, Lucia; Massaro, Arianna; Colletti, Patrick M.; Rubello, Domenico
• Is Part Of: Clinical nuclear medicine. Volume 40:Number 6(2015)
• Publication Date: 2015-06
• Subjects: Nuclear medicine -- Periodicals; Radioisotope scanning -- Periodicals; Nuclear Medicine -- Periodicals; 616.07575
• DOI: 10.1097/RLU.0000000000000757
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0363-9762

Abstract

<abstract> <title> <x xml:space="preserve">Abstract</x> </title> <sec> <title>Purpose</title> <p>We review acquisition <sup>18</sup>F-choline PET/CT methodology, evaluate a new <sup>18</sup>F-choline acquisition protocol for prostate cancer (PC), and propose a standardized acquisition protocol on <sup>18</sup>F-choline in PC patients.</p> </sec> <sec> <title>Materials</title> <p>Two hundred fifty consecutive PC patients (mean age 72 years, mean PSA 7.9 ng/mL) were prospectively evaluated with <sup>18</sup>F-choline PET/CT. An early scan of the pelvis (1 bed position of 4 minutes) was followed by a whole-body scan at 1 hour. Early and 1 delayed hour images of the pelvis were compared.</p> </sec> <sec> <title>Results</title> <p>Twenty-one percent of patients (n = 57) with positive <sup>18</sup>F-choline demonstrated abnormal local uptake; 18% of patients (n = 45) showed distant localization only; 23% of patients (n = 53) had both local and distant localization; 38% of patients (n = 38) did not show any pathological uptake. All early images showed absence of radioactive urine in ureters, bladder, or urethra with satisfactory visualization of the prostatic region. Considering the group of patients with local uptake only, the prostatic region uptake, confirmed by late images, was better visualized in the early phase in 32/57 cases (SUV<sub>max</sub> 12.4 ± 3.2 vs. 7.3 ± 5.2, <italic>P</italic> <0.01). Instead distant lesions were visualized on both early and late images with similar uptakes values (SUV<sub>max</sub> 9.8 ± 4.1 vs. 10.3 ± 4.5, <italic>P</italic> = N.S.).</p> </sec> <sec> <title>Conclusion</title> <p>Early <sup>18</sup>F-choline images improve pelvic prostate cancer lesion clarity. All pathologic pelvic deposits (prostate, lymph nodes, bone) were visualized both in the early and late images.</p> </sec> </abstract>