title: [18F]fluoroacetate positron emission tomography for hepatocellular carcinoma and metastases: an alternative tracer for [11C]acetate?
abstract: [11C]Acetate (ACT) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) is useful in the detection of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This study aimed to evaluate whether [18F]fluoroacetate (FAC) could be an alternative analogue of [11C]ACT for the diagnosis of HCC. [18F]FAC was synthesized using the precursor t-butyl 2-(methanesulfonyloxy)ethanoate. Five volunteer patients with known HCC were recruited after consent. Whole-body [18F]FAC PET/CT was performed at 20 minutes and 1 hour postinjection and compared to [11C]ACT PET/CT at 20 minutes postinjection to assess biodistribution and tumor uptake characteristics. Qualitative and semiquantitative analyses were performed with statistical correlations on the physiologic organs of accumulation and HCC lesions for both tracers. [18F]FAC was obtained with 99% radiochemical purity, and the reaction yield was 16.0% with 1-hour synthesis time. The biodistribution of [18F]FAC on PET/CT was significantly different from that of [11C]ACT (p < .05) by the lack of preferential uptake in any specific organ, particularly the pancreas, resembling the pattern of blood-pool retention although partly metabolized via the bowel. There was no significant defluorination, and none of the [11C]ACT-avid HCC lesions showed increased [18F]FAC activity. These were different from the results reported on other species. [18F]FAC may not be a potential alternative tracer for [11C]ACT in PET/CT evaluation of HCC in human subjects.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, Hong Kong Sanatorium and Hospital, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: Chi-lai
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.forename: Man-ki
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Cheung
authors.forename: Sirong
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Tan To
authors.initials: TT
authors.lastname: Cheung
authors.forename: Yim Lung
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Leung
authors.forename: Kam Chau
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Wing Ding
authors.initials: WD
authors.lastname: Yeung
mesh_terms: D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D005462:Fluorine Radioisotopes / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D064847:Multimodal Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D014018:Tissue Distribution; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
chemical_list: D005462:Fluorine Radioisotopes; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals