Positron emission tomography with C11-acetate for tumor detection and localization in patients with prostate-specific antigen relapse after radical prostatectomy.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate positron emission tomography with C11-acetate as a method for detecting and localizing prostate cancer recurrence. No technique for localizing and detecting prostate cancer recurrence after biochemical relapse available today is sensitive enough to localize recurrence at a stage at which salvage radiotherapy is still curative.


METHODS
Twenty patients (age 56 to 77 years) who had undergone radical prostatectomy and had an increasing prostate-specific antigen level measured on two consecutive occasions were included. In addition to the investigations usually performed when prostate cancer recurrence is suspected, they underwent positron emission tomography with C11-acetate as the marker.


RESULTS
Pathologic uptake of acetate was seen in 15 (75%) of the 20 patients. In 8 of these patients, a solitary lesion was found (seven in the prostatic fossa and one at the regional lymph nodes). Multiple lesions were found in the remaining 7. False-positive uptake was seen in 3 men (15%). Additional investigations in these men revealed pathologic findings other than prostate cancer.


CONCLUSIONS
Positron emission tomography with C11-acetate as marker is a promising method for early detection and localization of prostate cancer recurrence. False-positive uptake does occur.
Sandblom
Gabriel
G
Department of Surgery, Uppsala University Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden. gabriel.sandblom@surgsci.uu.se
Sörensen
Jens
J
Lundin
Niclas
N
Häggman
Michael
M
Malmström
Per-Uno
PU
D000085:Acetates; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood; D002244:Carbon; D002250:Carbon Radioisotopes; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000556:secondary; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000097:blood / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D016609:Neoplasms, Second Primary / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D010865:Pilot Projects; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen / Q000097:blood; D011468:Prostatectomy; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery
D000085:Acetates; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D002250:Carbon Radioisotopes; C438206:carbon-11 acetate; D002244:Carbon; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen