Pharmacokinetic analysis of hypoxia (18)F-fluoromisonidazole dynamic PET in head and neck cancer.
This study used pharmacokinetic analysis of (18)F-labeled fluoromisonidazole ((18)F-FMISO) dynamic PET to assist the identification of regional tumor hypoxia and to investigate the relationship among a potential tumor hypoxia index (K(i)), tumor-to-blood ratio (T/B) in the late-time image, plasma-to-tissue transport rate (k(1)), and local vascular volume fraction (beta) for head and neck cancer patients.


METHODS
Newly diagnosed patients underwent a dynamic (18)F-FMISO PET scan before chemotherapy or radiotherapy. The data were acquired in 3 consecutive PET/CT dynamic scan segments, registered with each other and analyzed using pharmacokinetics software. The (K(i), k(1), beta) kinetic parameter images were derived for each patient.


RESULTS
Nine patients' data were analyzed. Representative images of (18)F-FDG PET (of the tumor), CT (of the anatomy), and late-time (18)F-FMISO PET (of the T/B) and parametric images of K(i) (potentially representing tumor hypoxia) are shown. The patient image data could be classified into 3 types: with good concordance between the parametric hypoxia map K(i) and high T/B, with concordant findings between the parametric hypoxia map and low T/B, and with ambiguity between parametric hypoxia map and T/B. Correlation coefficients are computed between each pair of T/B, K(i), k(1), and beta. Data are also presented for other potential hypoxia surrogate measures, for example, k(3) and k(1)/k(2).


CONCLUSIONS
There is a positive correlation of 0.86 between the average T/B and average hypoxia index K(i) of the region of interest. However, because of the statistical photon counting noise in PET and the amplification of noise in kinetic analysis, the direct correlation between the T/B and hypoxia of the individual pixel is not obvious. For a tumor region of interest, there is a slight negative correlation between k(1) and K(i), moderate positive correlation between beta and K(i), but no correlation between beta and k(1).
Wang
Wenli
W
Department of Medical Physics, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York 10021, USA.
Lee
Nancy Y
NY
Georgi
Jens-Christoph
JC
Narayanan
Manoj
M
Guillem
Jose
J
Schöder
Heiko
H
Humm
John L
JL
D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000378:metabolism*; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008920:Misonidazole / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000097:blood / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010949:Plasma / Q000378:metabolism; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals / Q000097:blood / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D012039:Regional Blood Flow / Q000502:physiology
D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; C031843:fluoromisonidazole; D008920:Misonidazole