11C-choline positron emission tomography in prostate cancer: primary staging and recurrent site staging.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the usefulness of 11C-choline positron emission tomography (PET) for primary staging and re-staging of prostate cancer.


METHODS
11C-choline PET, a total of 22 scans, was performed on 13 patients with histologically proven prostate cancer in primary staging (n = 6) and recurrent site staging; following radical prostatectomy (n = 5) and following radiation therapy (n = 3). In 1 patient, 11C-choline PET was performed in both primary staging and re-staging. Also, 3 patients histologically proven to have no malignant prostate were included.


RESULTS
Because urinary 11C-choline activity was low, it did not interfere with the visualization of pelvic structures. 11C-choline PET visualized normal prostate with a mean SUV of 2.99 (range 2.27-3.68) and primary prostate cancer as a hot spot in 5/6 scans with a mean SUV of 4.21 (range 2.99-6.2). In re-staging, 11C-choline PET was true positive in 9/16 scans and true negative in 2/16 scans. 5/16 scans in 2 patients were false negative with negative conventional imaging.


CONCLUSIONS
In primary staging, 11C-choline PET may not be of use because of no reliable differential 11C-choline uptake of BPH and prostate cancer. On the other hand, 11C-choline PET may be of value in recurrent site staging and monitoring for the prostate cancer.
Yoshida
Soichiro
S
Department of Urology, Hamamatsu Medical Center, Hamamatsu, Japan. soichiroyoshida2000@yahoo.co.jp
Nakagomi
Kazuaki
K
Goto
Shuichi
S
Futatsubashi
Masami
M
Torizuka
Tatsuo
T
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002250:Carbon Radioisotopes / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002794:Choline / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004338:Drug Combinations; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D006801:Humans; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D009367:Neoplasm Staging / Q000379:methods*; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D015203:Reproducibility of Results
D002250:Carbon Radioisotopes; D004338:Drug Combinations; D002794:Choline