Dual-tracer PET/CT shows promise in liver cancer patients

Dual-tracer PET/CT appears valuable for improving tumor staging in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma being evaluated for treatment, according to a study published April 25 in JHEP Reports. A group led by researchers at the University of Hong Kong in China found the approach detected 12% more disease in patients undergoing staging than CT or MRI and resulted in a change in treatment in a significant number of cases. The results validate the emerging technique, the group noted. “In a large series of patients, we provided quantitative evidence for the use of combined F-18 FDG and C-11 acetate PET/CT in staging HCC patients,” wrote lead author Keith Wan Hang Chiu, MD, and colleagues. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third most common cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide, accounting for over 800,000 deaths annually. Currently, CT and MRI are the imaging modalities of choice for assessing diagnosed patients, yet have been shown to miss small lesions or metastatic deposits, the authors explained. Conversely, combined F-18 FDG and carbon-11 (C-11) acetate (dual-tracer) PET/CT has shown excellent sensitivity and specificity for detecting HCC in small studies, they added. Thus, to provide more evidence on the approach, the researchers evaluated it for tumor staging and characterizing indeterminate lesions in 525 HCC patients. A majority (n = 273) were being evaluated for transplantation listing, resection, or other radical treatments, or for baseline assessment b...
Source: AuntMinnie.com Headlines - Category: Radiology Authors: Tags: Molecular Imaging Source Type: news