B A W Hoeben1, E G C Troost, J Bussink, C M L van Herpen, W J G Oyen, J H A M Kaanders. 1. Bianca A.W. Hoeben, MD Radboud University Medical Center, Department of Radiation Oncology 874, P. O. Box 9101, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands, Tel. +31/24/361 45 15; Fax +31/24/361 07 92, E-mail: b.hoeben@radboudumc.nl.
Abstract
AIM: Early treatment response of head and neck cancer to radiotherapy concomitant with cetuximab was monitored by repetitive PET imaging with the proliferation tracer 18F-FLT. PATIENTS, METHODS: Five head and neck cancer patients, treated with radiotherapy and concomitant cetuximab following cetuximab induction, received four 18F-FLT PET-CT scans before and during treatment. Changes in SUVpeak, SUVmean and CT- and PET-segmented gross tumour volumes were evaluated, as were correlations with immunohistochemical staining for Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) and Ki-67 (proliferation marker) in pre-treatment tumour biopsies. RESULTS: 18F-FLT PET measured tumor responses to the induction dose of cetuximab varied from 43% SUVpeak decrease to 47% increase. After start of radiotherapy 18F-FLT PET parameters decreased significantly in all patients. No associations were found between PET parameters and EGFR or Ki-67 expression levels. CONCLUSION: Proliferation of head and neck carcinomas shows a varying response to cetuximab induction, but consistently decreases after addition of radiotherapy.
AIM: Early treatment response of head and neck cancer to radiotherapy concomitant with cetuximab was monitored by repetitive PET imaging with the proliferation tracer 18F-FLT. PATIENTS, METHODS: Five head and neck cancerpatients, treated with radiotherapy and concomitant cetuximab following cetuximab induction, received four 18F-FLT PET-CT scans before and during treatment. Changes in SUVpeak, SUVmean and CT- and PET-segmented gross tumour volumes were evaluated, as were correlations with immunohistochemical staining for Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) and Ki-67 (proliferation marker) in pre-treatment tumour biopsies. RESULTS: 18F-FLT PET measured tumor responses to the induction dose of cetuximab varied from 43% SUVpeak decrease to 47% increase. After start of radiotherapy 18F-FLT PET parameters decreased significantly in all patients. No associations were found between PET parameters and EGFR or Ki-67 expression levels. CONCLUSION: Proliferation of head and neck carcinomas shows a varying response to cetuximab induction, but consistently decreases after addition of radiotherapy.
Entities:
Keywords:
[18F] fluorothymidine PET; cetuximab; early response monitoring; head and neck cancer; radiotherapy
Authors: Tine N Christensen; Seppo W Langer; Gitte Persson; Klaus Richter Larsen; Annemarie G Amtoft; Sune H Keller; Andreas Kjaer; Barbara Malene Fischer Journal: Diagnostics (Basel) Date: 2021-02-11