RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Detection of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Using <sup>11</sup>C-Choline PET: Comparison with <sup>18</sup>F-FDG PET
JF Journal of Nuclear Medicine
JO J Nucl Med
FD Society of Nuclear Medicine
SP 1245
OP 1248
DO 10.2967/jnumed.108.052639
VO 49
IS 8
A1 Yamamoto, Yuka
A1 Nishiyama, Yoshihiro
A1 Kameyama, Reiko
A1 Okano, Keiichi
A1 Kashiwagi, Hirotaka
A1 Deguchi, Akihiro
A1 Kaji, Masato
A1 Ohkawa, Motoomi
YR 2008
UL http://jnm.snmjournals.org/content/49/8/1245.abstract
AB The purpose of this study was to retrospectively investigate the feasibility of 11C-choline PET, compared with 18F-FDG PET, for the detection of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods: A total of 16 HCC lesions in 12 patients were examined with both 11C-choline PET and 18F-FDG PET. Tumor lesions were identified as areas of focally increased uptake, exceeding that of surrounding noncancerous liver tissue. For semiquantitative analysis, the tumor-to-liver (T/L) ratio was calculated by dividing the maximal standardized uptake value (SUV) in HCC lesions by the mean SUV in noncancerous liver tissue. Results: 11C-choline PET showed a slightly higher detection rate than did 18F-FDG PET for detection of HCC (63% vs. 50%, respectively), although this difference was not statistically significant. 11C-choline PET had a better detection rate for moderately differentiated HCC lesions but not for those poorly differentiated (75% vs. 25%, respectively). In contrast, 18F-FDG PET exhibited the opposite behavior, with corresponding detection rates of 42% and 75%, respectively. The mean 11C-choline SUV and T/L ratio in moderately differentiated HCC lesions were higher than those in poorly differentiated HCC lesions. In contrast, the mean 18F-FDG SUV and T/L ratio in poorly differentiated HCC were higher than those in moderately differentiated HCC. These differences, however, were also not statistically significant. Conclusion: 11C-choline PET had a better detection rate for moderately differentiated HCC lesions but not for poorly differentiated HCC lesions, whereas 18F-FDG PET produced the opposite result. 11C-choline is a potential tracer to complement 18F-FDG in detection of HCC lesions.