title: The effects of androgen deprivation therapy on the 18F-Chcoline uptake in prostate cancer patients undergoing neoadjuvant treatment.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of the present study was to evaluate how neoadjuvant androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) can impact 18F-choline uptake in primary prostate cancer (PC) and its metastases before radical prostatectomy (RP) or radiation therapy (RT).
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively reviewed images of 79 PC patients undergoing 18F-choline PET/CT before RP or RT. Based on concomitant administration of neoadjuvant ADT at the time of 18F-choline PET/CT, patients were subdivided into naïve group (Group 1) and neoadjuvant ADT group (Group 2). PET/CT results, SUVmax and metabolic tumor volume (MTV) for each site were re-assessed by two nuclear medicine physicians with more than 5 years of experience. A chi-square and a U-Mann Whitney test were used to compare the two groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sixty-two patients were included in Group 1, while 17 in Group 2. PET/CT was positive in all patients, in particular: 54 had a significant uptake in prostate alone, 12 in prostate plus lymph nodes (LN), 4 in prostate plus LN and bone, 3 in prostate plus bone and 6 in prostate plus other organs (such as lung or thyroid). PET/CT was more frequently positive in a different site, outside the prostate, in Group 1 as compared to Group 2 (P<0.001). Conversely, median SUVmax and MTV in the prostate resulted significantly lower in Group 2 than in Group 1 (5.34 vs. 7.72 and 3.66 vs. 6.86 cm3, respectively; both P<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  PET/CT could have an important role in prostate cancer staging before primary treatment; however, before imaging, hormonal therapy status should be carefully evaluated.
authors.affiliation: Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging Unit, Veneto Institute of Oncology IOV-IRCCS, Padua, Italy - laura.evangelista@ioveneto.it.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Evangelista
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncological and Surgical Sciences, Clinic of Urology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy.
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zattoni
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncological and Surgical Sciences, Clinic of Urology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Guttilla
authors.affiliation: Unit of Oncology 1, Veneto Institute of Oncology IOV-IRCCS, Padua, Italy.
authors.forename: Umberto
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Basso
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncological and Surgical Sciences, Clinic of Urology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy.
authors.forename: Filiberto
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zattoni
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000726:Androgen Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001692:Biological Transport / Q000187:drug effects; D002794:Choline / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D020360:Neoadjuvant Therapy; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D000072078:Positron Emission Tomography Computed Tomography; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D000726:Androgen Antagonists; C514960:fluorocholine; D002794:Choline