Usefulness of semiquantitative FDG-PET in the prediction of brain tumor treatment response to gamma knife radiosurgery.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study is to evaluate whether posttreatment FDG-PET can predict the treatment response to gamma knife radiosurgery (GKRS) for patients with gliomas.


METHODS
Eighteen patients with histologically confirmed gliomas treated by GKRS and followed for more than 24 months were enrolled in this study. All patients underwent FDG-PET 6-8 months after GKRS. PET images and MR images were integrated and tumor-to-cortex (T/C) and tumor-to-white matter (T/WM) FDG uptake ratios were measured. By estimating the change of the maximum tumor diameter measured on the contrast-enhanced MRI (the last follow-up MRI vs. the pre-GKRS MRI), the tumor response was classified as complete remission, partial remission (PR), stable disease (SD), and progression of disease (PD). Group 1 includes four tumors with PR and 6 tumors with SD; group 2 includes 8 tumors with PD after GKRS.


RESULTS
Both mean T/C ratio and mean T/WM ratio of group 1 patients are statistically less than those of group 2 patients.


CONCLUSIONS
Our study suggests that, for patients with gliomas treated by GKRS, the posttreatment FDG-PET may be useful to predict the treatment response.
Lee
Jong-Kang
JK
Department of Nuclear Medicine, National PET/Cyclotron Center, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan. jklee4528@yahoo.com.tw
Liu
Ren-Shyan
RS
Shiang
Hung-Ren
HR
Pan
David Hung-Chi
DH
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D005910:Glioma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D016634:Radiosurgery; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18