FDG-PET in the detection of early pancreatic cancer in a BOP hamster model.
BACKGROUND
The prognosis of pancreatic cancer (PC) is highly dependent on the stage of the disease, and early recognition improves survival. Positron emission tomography (PET) using (18)F-fluoro-2-deoxyglucose ([(18)F]FDG) has been established as an important clinical tool for PC diagnosis, but it is not known whether FDG-PET detects premalignant stages of PC. We speculate that [(18)F]FDG uptake precedes the onset of PC in a hamster model. We used the N-nitrosobis(2-oxopropyl)amine (BOP) model, as these animals consistently develop PC within 20 weeks after first injection.


METHODS
Male Syrian hamsters were injected once a week with 10 mg BOP/kg body weight for 10 consecutive weeks. Terminal autopsy took place in groups of five hamsters from 4 weeks until 28 weeks after first BOP injection. After an 8-h fast, hamsters were injected with [(18)F]FDG and sacrificed 1 h after [(18)F]FDG injection. The pancreata were histopathologically examined, and the [(18)F]FDG uptake was determined and expressed as percentage of the injected dose per gram tissue (%ID/g).


RESULTS
Seven of 55 hamsters developed macroscopic signs of tumor. Histopathological examination revealed PC in 13 hamsters. [(18)F]FDG uptake increased gradually with time and was significantly higher in the group with PC compared to the group without PC.


CONCLUSIONS
[(18)F]FDG accumulates preferentially in PC, and pancreata exposed to BOP showed a gradual increase in [(18)F]FDG accumulation.
Department of Gastroenterology, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, The Netherlands.
Mariëtte C A
MC
van Kouwen
Peter
P
Laverman
J Han
JH
van Krieken
Wim J G
WJ
Oyen
Jan B M J
JB
Jansen
Joost P H
JP
Drenth
D000818:Animals; D006224:Cricetinae; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D008297:Male; D008647:Mesocricetus; D009602:Nitrosamines; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography
D009602:Nitrosamines; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; C013622:nitrosobis(2-oxopropyl)amine