title: Role of (64)CuCl 2 PET/CT in staging of prostate cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The presence of an elevated copper concentration in cancer cells may be potentially used to differentiate healthy from transformed cells. In this study, we aimed to look at the possible role of (64)CuCl2 PET/CT in staging of patients with prostate cancer (PC).
  
  
  METHODS
  Seven patients affected by histologically confirmed PC have been prospectively enrolled. Three patients underwent adrenal deprivation therapy (ADT) at time of imaging. The remaining four patients had no ADT, surgery, or external beam radiation therapy (EBRT). In all patients, up to three (64)CuCl2 PET/CT scans 10 min, 1 h and 3 h (and an additional scan 24 h in 2 patients) after administration of mean 339 MBq (64)CuCl2 were performed and analyzed for presence of disease. Additionally, dosimetric calculations were performed. All patients underwent a multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (mMRI) for confirmation of disease.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Lesions specifically in the pelvic area could be easily delineated, which was due to the absence of urinary excretion of the tracer. (64)CuCl2 uptake was higher in primary tumors of patients without ADT than in patients under bicalutamide therapy. In two patients with suspected lymphadenopathy at MRI (>10 mm diameter), there was no enhanced (64)CuCl2 uptake. In other two patients, there was focal enhanced uptake in involved pelvic lymph nodes, one of which with a normal size of <10 mm.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The preliminary results of this study show a high uptake of (64)CuCl2 in PC and involved regional lymph nodes indicating to a great potential of (64)CuCl2 PET/CT for primary staging of patients with prostate cancer.
authors.affiliation: Regional Oncological Hospital, U.O.C. Nuclear Medicine, Cagliari, Italy.
authors.forename: Enza
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Capasso
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Durzu
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Piras
authors.forename: Shahin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zandieh
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Knoll
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Haug
authors.forename: Marcus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hacker
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Meleddu
authors.forename: Siroos
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mirzaei
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003300:Copper; D003301:Copper Radioisotopes; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D064847:Multimodal Imaging; D009367:Neoplasm Staging / Q000379:methods*; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography / Q000379:methods*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D011874:Radiometry; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D013997:Time Factors; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D051598:Whole Body Imaging
chemical_list: D003301:Copper Radioisotopes; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D003300:Copper; C029892:cupric chloride