[18F]FLT-PET in oncology: current status and opportunities.
In recent years, [18F]-fluoro-3'-deoxy-3'-L: -fluorothymidine ([18F]FLT) has been developed as a proliferation tracer. Imaging and measurement of proliferation with PET could provide us with a non-invasive staging tool and a tool to monitor the response to anticancer treatment. In this review, the basis of [18F]FLT as a proliferation tracer is discussed. Furthermore, an overview of the current status of [18F]FLT-PET research is given. The results of this research show that although [18F]FLT is a tracer that visualises cellular proliferation, it also has certain limitations. In comparison with the most widely used PET tracer, [18F]FDG, [18F]FLT uptake is lower in most cases. Furthermore, [18F]FLT uptake does not always reflect the tumour cell proliferation rate, for example during or shortly after certain chemotherapy regimens. The opportunities provided by, and the limitations of, [18F]FLT as a proliferation tracer are addressed in this review, and directions are given for further research, taking into account the strong and weak points of the new tracer.
Been
Lukas B
LB
PET Center, Groningen University Hospital, Groningen, RB, The Netherlands. l.b.been@pet.azg.nl
Suurmeijer
Albert J H
AJ
Cobben
David C P
DC
Jager
Pieter L
PL
Hoekstra
Harald J
HJ
Elsinga
Philip H
PH
D000818:Animals; D015224:Dideoxynucleosides; D006801:Humans; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging / Q000379:methods* / Q000639:trends; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000145:classification / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography / Q000379:methods* / Q000639:trends*; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
D015224:Dideoxynucleosides; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; C002854:alovudine