Purpose: (1) To evaluate a new acquisition protocol of 18F-choline (FCH) PET/CT for prostate cancer patients (PC), (2) to review acquisition 18F-choline PET/CT methodology, and (3) to propose a standardized acquisition protocol on FCH PET/CT in PC patients.
Materials: 100 consecutive PC patients (mean age 70.5 years, mean PSA 21.35 ng/mL) were prospectively evaluated. New protocol consisted of an early scan of the pelvis immediately after the injection of the tracer (1 bed position of 4 min) followed by a whole body scan at one 1 hour. Early and 1 hour images were compared for interfering activity and pathologic findings.
Results: The overall detection rate of FCH PET/CT was 64%. The early static images of the pelvis showed absence of radioactive urine in ureters, bladder, or urethra which allowed a clean evaluation of the prostatic fossae. Uptake in the prostatic region was better visualized in the early phase in 26% (7/30) of cases. Other pelvic pathologic findings (bone and lymph nodes) were visualized in both early and late images.
Conclusion: Early (18)F-choline images improve visualization of abnormal uptake in prostate fossae. All pathologic pelvic deposits (prostate, lymph nodes, and bone) were visualized in both early and late images.
Written by:
Chondrogiannis S, Marzola MC, Grassetto G, Maffione AM, Rampin L, Veronese E, Massaro A, Rubello D. Are you the author?
Department of Nuclear Medicine, PET/CT Centre, "Santa Maria della Misericordia" Hospital, Via Tre Martiri 140, 45100 Rovigo, Italy.
Reference: Biomed Res Int. 2014;2014:215650.
doi: 10.1155/2014/215650
PubMed Abstract
PMID: 25121090