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Urol Int 2005;74:214-220 (DOI: 10.1159/000083551)

  Key Words

• Positron emission tomography
• ¹¹C-choline
• Prostate cancer

  Abstract

Objectives: To evaluate the usefulness of ¹¹C-choline positron emission tomography (PET) for primary staging and re-staging of prostate cancer. Patients and Methods:¹¹C-choline PET, a total of 22 scans, was performed on 13 patients with histologically proven prostate cancer in primary staging (n = 6) and recurrent site staging; following radical prostatectomy (n = 5) and following radiation therapy (n = 3). In 1 patient, ¹¹C-choline PET was performed in both primary staging and re-staging. Also, 3 patients histologically proven to have no malignant prostate were included. Results: Because urinary ¹¹C-choline activity was low, it did not interfere with the visualization of pelvic structures. ¹¹C-choline PET visualized normal prostate with a mean SUV of 2.99 (range 2.27-3.68) and primary prostate cancer as a hot spot in 5/6 scans with a mean SUV of 4.21 (range 2.99-6.2). In re-staging, ¹¹C-choline PET was true positive in 9/16 scans and true negative in 2/16 scans. 5/16 scans in 2 patients were false negative with negative conventional imaging. Conclusions: In primary staging, ¹¹C-choline PET may not be of use because of no reliable differential ¹¹C-choline uptake of BPH and prostate cancer. On the other hand, ¹¹C-choline PET may be of value in recurrent site staging and monitoring for the prostate cancer.

Copyright © 2005 S. Karger AG, Basel

  Author Contacts

Soichiro Yoshida
Department of Urology, Saitama Medical Center
Saitama Medical School, 1981 Kamoda tsujidouchou
Kawagoe City, Saitama 350-8550 (Japan)
Tel. +81 49 2283673, Fax +81 49 2269944, E-Mail soichiroyoshida2000@yahoo.co.jp

  Article Information

Received: July 26, 2004
Accepted: October 28, 2004
Number of Print Pages : 7
Number of Figures : 3, Number of Tables : 2, Number of References : 25