title: Positron emission tomography with [(18)F]FDOPA and [(18)F]FDG in the imaging of small cell lung carcinoma: preliminary results.
abstract: Small cell lung carcinomas (SCLC) express neuroendocrine markers, and dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA) is known to accumulate in neuroendocrine tumours. This study was performed with the aim of evaluating the uptake of 3,4-dihydroxy-6-(18)F-fluoro-phenylalanine ([(18)F]FDOPA) by SCLC, based on comparison with the results of fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose ([(18)F]FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) and standard imaging procedures. [(18)F]FDG PET and [(18)F]FDOPA PET were performed on four patients with newly diagnosed SCLC. There was agreement between the results of [(18)F]FDOPA PET and [(18)F]FDG PET in four tumoural sites out of 11, whereas [(18)F]FDG PET and standard imaging procedures were in full agreement. A semi-quantitative analysis based on standardised uptake values (SUVs) was performed in order to compare [(18)F]FDG and [(18)F]FDOPA tumour uptake. The median [(18)F]FDG SUV(max) was 5.9 (with a 95% confidence interval from 4.4 to 9.2), while the median [(18)F]FDOPA SUV(max) was 1.9 (with a 95% confidence interval from 1.6 to 3.8). The difference between [(18)F]FDG SUV(max) and [(18)F]FDOPA SUV(max) was significant ( P<0.01). [(18)F]FDOPA PET appeared less sensitive than [(18)F]FDG PET and standard imaging procedures in the staging of SCLC. No clear relation between [(18)F]FDOPA uptake and positivity of neuroendocrine markers on immunohistochemistry emerged from these preliminary results; however, since [(18)F]FDOPA uptake may reflect better differentiation of the tumour, and possibly a better prognosis, this point warrants clarification in a larger study.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, Tenon Hospital and APHP PET Center, 75020 Paris, France. jacob.thierry@free.fr
authors.forename: Thierry
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Jacob
authors.forename: Dany
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Grahek
authors.forename: Nassima
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Younsi
authors.forename: Khaldoun
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kerrou
authors.forename: Nicolas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Aide
authors.forename: Françoise
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Montravers
authors.forename: Sonia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Balogova
authors.forename: Cecile
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Colombet
authors.forename: Virginie
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: De Beco
authors.forename: Jean N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Talbot
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D018288:Carcinoma, Small Cell / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D004295:Dihydroxyphenylalanine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D005260:Female; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008297:Male; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; C043437:fluorodopa F 18; D004295:Dihydroxyphenylalanine