PURPOSE: The aim of the study was to evaluate the feasibility of using the hepatocyte-specific positron emission tomography (PET) tracer 2-[(18)F]fluoro-2-deoxy-D-galactose (FDGal) as a tracer for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). METHODS: In addition to standard clinical investigations, 39 patients with known HCC or suspected of having HCC underwent a partial-body FDGal PET/CT (from base of skull to mid-thigh). Diagnosis of HCC was based on internationally approved criteria. FDGal PET/CT images were analysed for areas with high (hot spots) or low (cold spots) tracer accumulation when compared to surrounding tissue. RESULTS: Seven patients did not have HCC and FDGal PET/CT was negative in each of them. Twenty-three patients had HCC and were included before treatment. FDGal PET/CT correctly identified 22 of these patients, which was comparable to contrast-enhanced CT. Interestingly, FDGal PET/CT was conclusive in 12 patients in whom conventional imaging techniques were inconclusive and required additional diagnostic investigations or close follow-up. Nine patients were included after treatment of HCC and in these patients FDGal PET/CT was able to distinguish between viable tumour tissue as hot spots and areas with low metabolic activity as cold spots. FDGal PET/CT detected extrahepatic disease in nine patients which was a novel finding in eight patients. CONCLUSION: FDGal PET/CT has great clinical potential as a PET tracer for detection of extra- but also intrahepatic HCC. In the present study, the specificity of FDGal PET/CT was 100%, which is very promising but needs to be confirmed in a larger, prospective study.
PURPOSE: The aim of the study was to evaluate the feasibility of using the hepatocyte-specific positron emission tomography (PET) tracer 2-[(18)F]fluoro-2-deoxy-D-galactose (FDGal) as a tracer for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). METHODS: In addition to standard clinical investigations, 39 patients with known HCC or suspected of having HCC underwent a partial-body FDGal PET/CT (from base of skull to mid-thigh). Diagnosis of HCC was based on internationally approved criteria. FDGal PET/CT images were analysed for areas with high (hot spots) or low (cold spots) tracer accumulation when compared to surrounding tissue. RESULTS: Seven patients did not have HCC and FDGal PET/CT was negative in each of them. Twenty-three patients had HCC and were included before treatment. FDGal PET/CT correctly identified 22 of these patients, which was comparable to contrast-enhanced CT. Interestingly, FDGal PET/CT was conclusive in 12 patients in whom conventional imaging techniques were inconclusive and required additional diagnostic investigations or close follow-up. Nine patients were included after treatment of HCC and in these patientsFDGal PET/CT was able to distinguish between viable tumour tissue as hot spots and areas with low metabolic activity as cold spots. FDGal PET/CT detected extrahepatic disease in nine patients which was a novel finding in eight patients. CONCLUSION:FDGal PET/CT has great clinical potential as a PET tracer for detection of extra- but also intrahepatic HCC. In the present study, the specificity of FDGal PET/CT was 100%, which is very promising but needs to be confirmed in a larger, prospective study.
Authors: M A Khan; C S Combs; E M Brunt; V J Lowe; M K Wolverson; H Solomon; B T Collins; A M Di Bisceglie Journal: J Hepatol Date: 2000-05 Impact factor: 25.083
Authors: L James Wudel; Dominique Delbeke; David Morris; Michael Rice; Mary Kay Washington; Yu Shyr; C Wright Pinson; William C Chapman Journal: Am Surg Date: 2003-02 Impact factor: 0.688
Authors: Stephen R Bowen; Jatinder Saini; Tobias R Chapman; Robert S Miyaoka; Paul E Kinahan; George A Sandison; Tony Wong; Hubert J Vesselle; Matthew J Nyflot; Smith Apisarnthanarax Journal: Radiother Oncol Date: 2015-04-28 Impact factor: 6.280
Authors: Anne Roivainen; Alexandru Naum; Heikki Nuutinen; Rauli Leino; Heimo Nurmi; Kjell Någren; Riitta Parkkola; Johanna Virtanen; Markku Kallajoki; Harry Kujari; Jari Ovaska; Peter Roberts; Marko Seppänen Journal: EJNMMI Res Date: 2013-02-27 Impact factor: 3.138