Abstract
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Objectives The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between uptake of 16β-[18F]fluoro-17β-estradiol (FES), 18F-labeled estradiol analog, combined with FDG and expression of receptors related to estrogen in endometrial carcinoma using PET and immunohistochemistry.
Methods Preoperative MRI, FES- and FDG-PET studies were performed in 15 patients with endometrial carcinoma. Regional values of tracer uptake were evaluated using SUV. Postoperative immunohistochemical analysis was performed for ERα, ERβ, progesterone receptor (PR) and Ki-67. Uptake of FES and FDG was compared with each immunohistochemical score, histological grade and postoperative stage.
Results FES uptake significantly correlated with ERα (r=0.59, p<0.05) and PR (r=0.55, p<0.05) but not with ERβ (r=-0.003, NS) and Ki-67 (r=0.05, NS), while there was no significant correlation between FDG uptake and each immunohistochemical score. ERα and PR expression showed a strong correlation (r=0.94, p<0.0005). FES uptake alone had a significant negative correlation with histological grade (r=-0.71, p<0.005) and postoperative stage (r=-0.53, p<0.05). Regression analysis showed that histological grade was the strongest parameter (r=0.74, p<0.005) to predict FES uptake.
Conclusions FES uptake reflects histological grade of endometrial carcinoma, ERα and PR expression, much more than ERβ. FES-PET would be useful for non-invasive evaluation of ERα expression as well as function in patients with endometrial carcinoma.
- © 2009 by Society of Nuclear Medicine