[Visualization of prostate cancer with 11C-choline positron emission tomography (PET): localization of primary and recurrent prostate cancer].

A total of 33 11C-choline positron emission tomography scans for 23 patients with prostate cancer were performed to elucidate the localization of primary site within the prostate gland (primary group) and of recurrent site after radical treatment (recurrent group) from 2000 to 2005. As a control group, one scan for benign prostate hyperplasia and 3 scans for bladder cancer were also studied. Mean PSA values of 14 scans in the primary group and 19 scans in the recurrent group were 39.8 ng/ml (range 1.6-150) and 5.0 ng/ml (range < 0.2-11), respectively. The primary cancer could be visualized as a hot spot within the prostate gland in 10 out of 14 scans and histopathological analysis of biopsy and prostatectomy specimens verified the correct laterality. Positive scans were demonstrated in 2 out of 4 local recurrent sites, 4 out of 4 lymph node recurrent sites and 4 out of 4 bone recurrent sites with a mean PSA value of 6.22 ng/ml (range 2.3-11). Four scans with a PSA value of 2.3 ng/ml or less, no positive spot was demonstrated. These 4 scans consisted of 2 false negative and 2 true negative studies. 11C-choline PET seems to be useful to detect primary prostate cancer and could play a complementary role for conventional imaging methods in recurrent site staging.