title: Comparison of 18F-FLT PET and 18F-FDG PET in esophageal cancer.
abstract: 18F-FDG PET has gained acceptance for staging of esophageal cancer. However, FDG is not tumor specific and false-positive results may occur by accumulation of FDG in benign tissue. The tracer 18F-fluoro-3'-deoxy-3'-L-fluorothymidine (18F-FLT) might not have these drawbacks. The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility of 18F-FLT PET for the detection and staging of esophageal cancer and to compare 18F-FLT PET with 18F-FDG PET. Furthermore, the correlation between 18F-FLT and 18F-FDG uptake and proliferation of the tumor was investigated.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ten patients with biopsy-proven cancer of the esophagus or gastroesophageal junction were staged with CT, endoscopic ultrasonography, and ultrasound of the neck. In addition, all patients underwent a whole-body 18F-FLT PET and 18F-FDG PET. Standardized uptake values were compared with proliferation expressed by Ki-67 positivity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  18F-FDG PET was able to detect all esophageal cancers, whereas 18F-FLT PET visualized the tumor in 8 of 10 patients. Both 18F-FDG PET and 18F-FLT PET detected lymph node metastases in 2 of 8 patients. 18F-FDG PET detected 1 cervical lymph node that was missed on 18F-FLT PET, whereas 18F-FDG PET showed uptake in benign lesions in 2 patients. The uptake of 18F-FDG (median standardized uptake value [SUV(mean)], 6.0) was significantly higher than 18F-FLT (median SUV(mean), 3.4). Neither 18F-FDG maximum SUV (SUV(max)) nor 18F-FLT SUV(max) correlated with Ki-67 expression in the linear regression analysis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this study, uptake of 18F-FDG in esophageal cancer is significantly higher compared with 18F-FLT uptake. 18F-FLT scans show more false-negative findings and fewer false-positive findings than do 18F-FDG scans. Uptake of 18F-FDG or 18F-FLT did not correlate with proliferation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Oncology, University Medical Center, Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Henderik L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: van Westreenen
authors.forename: David C P
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Cobben
authors.forename: Pieter L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Jager
authors.forename: Hendrik M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: van Dullemen
authors.forename: Jelle
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wesseling
authors.forename: Philip H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Elsinga
authors.forename: John Th
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Plukker
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015224:Dideoxynucleosides; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography / Q000379:methods*; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D015224:Dideoxynucleosides; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; C002854:alovudine