Study of FDG-PET/CT and MET-PET/CT in evaluation of head and neck cancer

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K16449
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Radiation science
• Research Institution: The University of Tokushima
• Principal Investigator: OTOMI Yoichi 徳島大学, 病院, 講師 (50624110)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: FDG / メチオニン / PET/CT / 頭頚部癌

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Eleven patients with head and neck cancer underwent both MET and FDG PET/CT before treatment. Each tracer uptake in the primary tumor was evaluated. All 11 primary cancers were visualized by both tracers. The MET SUVmax, MTV, and the total lesion methionine uptake (TLMU) values were 12.2±5.8, 7.2±8.5, and 69±113.1, respectively. The FDG SUVmax, MTV, and the total lesion glycolysis (TLG) values were 12.6±9.1, 5.9±7.3, and 73.2±127.3, respectively. The difference between MET and FDG was not significant with any uptake parameter (12.2±5.8 and 12.6±9.1, p=0.863 for SUVmax; 7.2±8.5 and 5.9±7.3, p=0.139 for MTV; 69±113.1 and 73.2±127.3, p=0.075 for TLMU, TLG). The MET SUVmax, MTV, and TLMU demonstrated a significantly positive, strong correlation with the FDG SUVmax, MTV, and TLG, respectively (r=0.725 [p=0.012], r=0.881 [p<0.001], r=0.955 [p<0.001]). MET has the same utility as FDG in PET/CT for the visualization of primary head and neck cancer.

Free Research Field

放射線医学、核医学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

FDG PET/CTは頭頚部癌の病期診断などに用いられる。脳腫瘍における画像検査としてメチオニンPET/CTの有用性が確立されてきているが、頭頚部癌やその転移検索の評価におけるメチオニンPET/CTの有用性はこれまでに十分には検討されていない。今回の研究でFDG PET検査と同等に原発性頭頚部癌がメチオニンPET検査で良好に描出できる可能性があることが分かり、今後の頭頚部癌における画像検査の選択肢が増える可能性を示すことができた。