New Acquisition Protocol of 18F-Choline PETCT in Prostate Cancer Patients : Review of the Literature about Methodology and Proposal of Standardization

Abstract EN

Purpose.

(1) To evaluate a new acquisition protocol of 18F-choline (FCH) PET/CT for prostate cancer patients (PC), (2) to review acquisition 18F-choline PET/CT methodology, and (3) to propose a standardized acquisition protocol on FCH PET/CT in PC patients.

Materials.

100 consecutive PC patients (mean age 70.5 years, mean PSA 21.35 ng/mL) were prospectively evaluated.

New protocol consisted of an early scan of the pelvis immediately after the injection of the tracer (1 bed position of 4 min) followed by a whole body scan at one 1 hour.

Early and 1 hour images were compared for interfering activity and pathologic findings.

Results.

The overall detection rate of FCH PET/CT was 64%.

The early static images of the pelvis showed absence of radioactive urine in ureters, bladder, or urethra which allowed a clean evaluation of the prostatic fossae.

Uptake in the prostatic region was better visualized in the early phase in 26% (7/30) of cases.

Other pelvic pathologic findings (bone and lymph nodes) were visualized in both early and late images.

Conclusion.

Early 18F-choline images improve visualization of abnormal uptake in prostate fossae.

All pathologic pelvic deposits (prostate, lymph nodes, and bone) were visualized in both early and late images.