Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of whole body 18F-choline (FCH) positron emission tomography—computed tomography (PET-CT) in detecting and localising disease recurrence in patients presenting biochemical relapse after radical treatment for prostate cancer.
Materials and methods
Fifty-six consecutive patients with increased serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels after radical prostatectomy were included in the study. None of them was receiving hormone treatment at the time of the examination or had been treated during the previous 6 months. All patients underwent whole-body 18F-choline PET imaging, and the pathological findings were compared with those of further imaging exams, biopsy and follow-up. On the basis of the PSA levels, we divided our patient population into three subgroups: PSA≤1, 1<PSA≤5, and PSA>5 ng/ml.
Results
Overall, the PET scan detected disease relapse in 42.9% of cases (24/56). PET sensitivity was closely related to serum PSA levels, showing values of 20%, 44% and 81.8% in the PSA≤1, 1<PSA≤5 and PSA>5ng/ml subgroups, respectively.
Conclusions
In patients with biochemical relapse after radical treatment for prostate cancer, 18F-choline PET-CT represents a single step, whole-body, noninvasive study that allows disease detection and localisation. The disease detection rate is related to serum PSA levels.
Riassunto
Obiettivo
Lo scopo di questo studio è stato quello di valutare il ruolo dell’esame PET/TC con 18F-colina nella identificazione e localizzazione di recidiva di malattia in pazienti sottoposti a trattamento radicale per neoplasia prostatica, in presenza di attuale recidiva biochimica.
Materiali e metodi
Sono stati inclusi 56 pazienti consecutivi, sottoposti a prostatectomia radicale e con livelli serici di PSA in incremento. Al momento dell’esame, nessuno di loro era in trattamento ormonale né lo era stato nei sei mesi precedenti. Tutti i pazienti sono stati sottoposti ad esame PET/TC total-body con 18F-colina; i reperti patologici sono stati confrontati con ulteriori esami strumentali e/o con la biopsia e/o col follow-up clinico. Sulla base dei livelli serici di PSA, abbiamo suddiviso la nostra popolazione in tre sottogruppi: PSA ≤1, 1<PSA ≤5 e PSA>5 ng/ml.
Risultati
L’esame PET ha identificato la ripresa di malattia nel 42,9% dei casi (24/56). La sensibilità è risultata strettamente correlata ai livelli serici di PSA; infatti essa è stata del 20%, del 44% e dello 81% rispettivamente, nei sottogruppi con PSA ≤1, 1<PSA ≤5 e PSA>5 ng/ml.
Conclusioni
Nei pazienti trattati radicalmente per carcinoma della prostata, in presenza di recidiva biochimica, l’esame PET/TC total-body con 18F-colina rappresenta un’indagine singola e non invasiva, che consente di identificare e localizzare la recidiva di malattia; la sua percentuale di identificazione è correlata con i livelli serici del PSA.
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Pelosi, E., Arena, V., Skanjeti, A. et al. Role of whole-body 18F-choline PET/CT in disease detection in patients with biochemical relapse after radical treatment for prostate cancer. Radiol med 113, 895–904 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11547-008-0263-8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11547-008-0263-8