Prognostic Implications of 68Ga-FAPI-46 PET/CT-Derived Parameters on Overall Survival in Various Types of Solid Tumors.

Tumoral fibroblast activation protein expression is associated with proliferation and angiogenesis and can be visualized by PET/CT. We examined the prognostic value of [68Ga]Ga-fibroblast activation protein inhibitor (FAPI) (68Ga-FAPI)-46 PET/CT for different tumor entities in patients enrolled in 2 prospective imaging studies (NCT05160051, n = 30; NCT04571086, n = 115). Methods: Within 4 wk, 145 patients underwent 68Ga-FAPI-46 and [18F]FDG (18F-FDG) PET/CT. The association between overall survival (OS) and sex, age, tumor entity, total lesion number, highest SUVmax, and the presence of each nodal, visceral, and bone metastasis was tested using univariate Cox regression analysis. Multivariate analyses were performed for prognostic factors with P values of less than 0.05. Results: In the univariate analysis, shorter OS was associated with total lesion number and the presence of nodal, visceral, and bone metastases on 68Ga-FAPI-46 PET/CT (hazard ratio [HR], 1.06, 2.18, 1.69, and 2.05; P < 0.01, < 0.01, = 0.04, and = 0.02, respectively) and 18F-FDG PET/CT (HR, 1.05, 2.31, 1.76, and 2.30; P < 0.01, < 0.01, = 0.03, and < 0.01, respectively) and with SUVmax on 68Ga-FAPI-46 PET/CT (HR, 1.03; P = 0.03). In the multivariate analysis, total lesion number on 68Ga-FAPI-46 PET/CT was an independent risk factor for shorter OS (HR, 1.05; P = 0.02). In patients with pancreatic cancer, shorter OS was associated with total lesion number on 68Ga-FAPI-46 PET/CT (HR, 1.09; P < 0.01) and bone metastases on 18F-FDG PET/CT (HR, 31.39; P < 0.01) in the univariate analysis and with total lesion number on 68Ga-FAPI-46 PET/CT (HR, 1.07; P = 0.04) in the multivariate analyses. In breast cancer, total lesion number on 68Ga-FAPI-46 PET/CT (HR, 1.07; P = 0.02), as well as bone metastases on 18F-FDG PET/CT (HR, 9.64; P = 0.04), was associated with shorter OS in the univariate analysis. The multivariate analysis did not reveal significant prognostic factors. In thoracic cancer (lung cancer and pleural mesothelioma), the univariate and multivariate analyses did not reveal significant prognostic factors. Conclusion: Disease extent on 68Ga-FAPI-46 PET/CT is a predictor of short OS and may aid in future risk stratification by playing a supplemental role alongside 18F-FDG PET/CT.

Safety and Efficacy of Selective Internal Radionuclide Therapy with 90Y Glass Microspheres in Patients with Progressive Hepatocellular Carcinoma after the Failure of Repeated Transarterial Chemoembolization.

Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) is currently the standard of care in patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and selective internal radionuclide therapy (SIRT) with 90Y microspheres is mainly used as an alternative modality in patients considered poor candidates for TACE. Treatment with sorafenib is the recommended option for patients with progressive disease after TACE. This study aims to evaluate the safety and efficacy of SIRT with glass microspheres in patients with progressive HCC after repeated TACE who are not eligible for treatment with sorafenib. Forty-seven patients with progressive HCC after a median of three TACE sessions (range 2-14) underwent SIRT (3.5 ± 1.5 GBq; liver target dose 110-120 Gy). Toxicity was recorded 4 and 12 weeks after treatment and reported according to the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events Version 5.0. Treatment response was assessed three months after SIRT using multiphase computed tomography and modified criteria in solid tumors (mRECIST). Survival analyses were performed using Kaplan-Meier curves and a Cox proportional hazards model for uni- and multivariate analyses. Significant but reversible hepatotoxicity (≥grade 3) occurred in five patients (11%). No radioembolization-induced liver disease (REILD) was observed. The number of previous TACE sessions and cumulative administered activity did not predict the incidence of post-SIRT significant hepatotoxicity. Treatment responses consisted of partial responses in 26 (55%), stable disease in 12 (26%), and progressive disease in 9 (19%) patients. The median overall survival (OS) was 11 months (95% confidence interval (CI), 9-13), and objective responses to SIRT were associated with a longer OS (p = 0.008). Significant hepatotoxicity (≥grade 3) after SIRT was a contributor to impaired survival (median OS 6 months (95% CI, 4-8) vs. 12 months (95% CI, 10-14), p < 0.001). SIRT with glass microspheres is a safe and effective salvage treatment for patients with progressive HCC refractory to TACE who are considered poor candidates for sorafenib treatment.

Systematic evaluation of human soft tissue attenuation correction in whole-body PET/MR: Implications from PET/CT for optimization of MR-based AC in patients with normal lung tissue.

BACKGROUND: Attenuation correction (AC) is an important methodical step in positron emission tomography/magnetic resonance imaging (PET/MRI) to correct for attenuated and scattered PET photons. PURPOSE: The overall quality of magnetic resonance (MR)-based AC in whole-body PET/MRI was evaluated in direct comparison to computed tomography (CT)-based AC serving as reference. The quantitative impact of isolated tissue classes in the MR-AC was systematically investigated to identify potential optimization needs and strategies. METHODS: Data of n = 60 whole-body PET/CT patients with normal lung tissue and without metal implants/prostheses were used to generate six different AC-models based on the CT data for each patient, simulating variations of MR-AC. The original continuous CT-AC (CT-org) is referred to as reference. A pseudo MR-AC (CT-mrac), generated from CT data, with four tissue classes and a bone atlas represents the MR-AC. Relative difference in linear attenuation coefficients (LAC) and standardized uptake values were calculated. From the results two improvements regarding soft tissue AC and lung AC were proposed and evaluated. RESULTS: The overall performance of MR-AC is in good agreement compared to CT-AC. Lungs, heart, and bone tissue were identified as the regions with most deviation to the CT-AC (myocardium -15%, bone tissue -14%, and lungs ±20%). Using single-valued LACs for AC in the lung only provides limited accuracy. For improved soft tissue AC, splitting the combined soft tissue class into muscles and organs each with adapted LAC could reduce the deviations to the CT-AC to < ±1%. For improved lung AC, applying a gradient LAC in the lungs could remarkably reduce over- or undercorrections in PET signal compared to CT-AC (±5%). CONCLUSIONS: The AC is important to ensure best PET image quality and accurate PET quantification for diagnostics and radiotherapy planning. The optimized segment-based AC proposed in this study, which was evaluated on PET/CT data, inherently reduces quantification bias in normal lung tissue and soft tissue compared to the CT-AC reference.

Voxel-Based Dosimetry Predicts Hepatotoxicity in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients Undergoing Radioembolization with 90Y Glass Microspheres.

Personalized dosimetry holds promise to improve radioembolization treatment outcomes in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients. To this end, tolerance absorbed doses for nontumor liver tissue are assessed by calculating the mean absorbed dose to the whole nontumor liver tissue (AD-WNTLT), which may be limited by its neglect of nonuniform dose distribution. Thus, we analyzed whether voxel-based dosimetry could be more accurate in predicting hepatotoxicity in HCC patients undergoing radioembolization. Methods: In total, 176 HCC patients were available for this retrospective analysis; of these, 78 underwent partial- and 98 whole-liver treatment. Posttherapeutic changes in bilirubin were graded using the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events. We performed voxel-based and multicompartment dosimetry using pretherapeutic 99mTc-labeled human serum albumin SPECT and contrast-enhanced CT/MRI and defined the following dosimetry parameters: AD-WNTLT; the nontumor liver tissue volume exposed to at least 20 Gy (V20), at least 30 Gy (V30), and at least 40 Gy (V40); and the threshold absorbed dose to the 20% (AD-20) and 30% (AD-30) of nontumor liver tissue with the lowest absorbed dose. Their impact on hepatotoxicity after 6 mo was analyzed using the area under the receiver-operating-characteristic curve; thresholds were identified using the Youden index. Results: The area under the curve for prediction of posttherapeutic grade 3+ increases in bilirubin was acceptable for V20 (0.77), V30 (0.78), and V40 (0.79), whereas it was low for AD-WNTLT (0.67). The predictive value could further be increased in the subanalysis of patients with whole-liver treatment, where a good discriminatory power was found for V20 (0.80), V30 (0.82), V40 (0.84), AD-20 (0.80), and AD-30 (0.82) and an acceptable discriminatory power was found for AD-WNTLT (0.63). The accuracies of V20 (P = 0.03), V30 (P = 0.009), V40 (P = 0.004), AD-20 (P = 0.04), and AD-30 (P = 0.02) were superior to that of AD-WNTLT but did not differ significantly from each other. The respective thresholds were 78% (V30), 72% (V40), and 43 Gy (AD-30). Statistical significance was not reached for partial-liver treatment. Conclusion: Voxel-based dosimetry may more accurately predict hepatotoxicity than multicompartment dosimetry in HCC patients undergoing radioembolization, which could enable dose escalation or deescalation with the intent to optimize treatment response. Our results indicate that a V40 of 72% may be particularly useful in whole-liver treatment. However, further research is warranted to validate these results.

Intra-Individual Comparison of 124I-PET/CT and 124I-PET/MR Hybrid Imaging of Patients with Resected Differentiated Thyroid Carcinoma: Aspects of Attenuation Correction.

BACKGROUND: This study evaluates the quantitative differences between 124-iodine (I) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) and PET/magnetic resonance imaging (PET/MR) in patients with resected differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC). METHODS: N = 43 124I PET/CT and PET/MR exams were included. CT-based attenuation correction (AC) in PET/CT and MR-based AC in PET/MR with bone atlas were compared concerning bone AC in the head-neck region. AC-map artifacts (e.g., dentures) were noted. Standardized uptake values (SUV) were measured in lesions in each PET data reconstruction. Relative differences in SUVmean were calculated between PET/CT and PET/MR with bone atlas. RESULTS: Overall, n = 111 124I-avid lesions were detected in all PET/CT, while n = 132 lesions were detected in PET/MR. The median in SUVmean for n = 98 congruent lesions measured in PET/CT was 12.3. In PET/MR, the median in SUVmean was 16.6 with bone in MR-based AC. CONCLUSIONS: 124I-PET/CT and 124I-PET/MR hybrid imaging of patients with DTC after thyroidectomy provides overall comparable quantitative results in a clinical setting despite different patient positioning and AC methods. The overall number of detected 124I-avid lesions was higher for PET/MR compared to PET/CT. The measured average SUVmean values for congruent lesions were higher for PET/MR.

Enhancing Radioiodine Incorporation into Radioiodine-Refractory Thyroid Cancer with MAPK Inhibition (ERRITI): A Single-Center Prospective Two-Arm Study.

PURPOSE: Restoration of iodine incorporation (redifferentiation) by MAPK inhibition was achieved in previously radioiodine-refractory, unresectable thyroid carcinoma (RR-TC). However, results were unsatisfactory in BRAFV600E-mutant (BRAF-MUT) RR-TC. Here we assess safety and efficacy of redifferentiation therapy through genotype-guided MAPK-modulation in patients with BRAF-MUT or wildtype (BRAF-WT) RR-TC. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In this prospective single-center, two-arm phase II study, patients received trametinib (BRAF-WT) or trametinib + dabrafenib (BRAF-MUT) for 21 ± 3 days. Redifferentiation was assessed by 123I-scintigraphy. In case of restored radioiodine uptake, 124I-guided 131I therapy was performed. Primary endpoint was the redifferentiation rate. Secondary endpoints were treatment response (thyroglobulin, RECIST 1.1) and safety. Parameters predicting successful redifferentiation were assessed using a receiver operating characteristic analysis and Youden J statistic. RESULTS: Redifferentiation was achieved in 7 of 20 (35%) patients, 2 of 6 (33%) in the BRAF-MUT and 5 of 14 (36%) in the BRAF-WT arm. Patients received a mean (range) activity of 300.0 (273.0-421.6) mCi for 131I therapy. Any thyroglobulin decline was seen in 57% (4/7) of the patients, RECIST 1.1 stable/partial response/progressive disease in 71% (5/7)/14% (1/7)/14% (1/7). Peak standardized uptake value (SUVpeak) < 10 on 2[18F]fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG)-PET was associated with successful redifferentiation (P = 0.01). Transient pyrexia (grade 3) and rash (grade 4) were noted in one patient each. CONCLUSIONS: Genotype-guided MAPK inhibition was safe and resulted in successful redifferentiation in about one third of patients in each arm. Subsequent 131I therapy led to a thyroglobulin (Tg) decline in more than half of the treated patients. Low tumor glycolytic rate as assessed by FDG-PET is predictive of redifferentiation success. See related commentary by Cabanillas et al., p. 4164.

Evaluation of improved CT-based hardware attenuation correction in PET/MRI: Application to a 16-channel RF breast coil.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to compare and evaluate three different bilinear conversion curves for attenuation correction (AC) of a 16-channel radiofrequency (RF) coil in positron emission tomography/magnetic resonance (PET/MR) breast cancer imaging. METHODS: The quantitative impact of three different bilinear conversions of computed tomography (CT) data for the AC of a 16-channel RF breast coil was systematically evaluated in phantom measurements and on n = 20 PET/MR patients with breast cancer. PET data were reconstructed four times: (1) no coil AC (C-NAC) serving as a reference, (2) established bilinear conversion by Carney et al., (3) bilinear conversion by Paulus et al., and (4) bilinear conversion by Oehmigen et al. Relative differences in PET data were calculated. RESULTS: Independent of the choice of bilinear conversion, significant gains in PET signal, compared to C-NAC, were measurable in all phantom and patient measurements. Mean relative differences of ca. 10% in SUVmean (i.e., standardized uptake value; maximal relative differences up to 30%) due to the integration of the coil AC were calculated, compared to C-NAC in phantom and patient measurements. Relative difference images depict that the quantitative impact of coil AC is highest in regions close to the RF coil when compared to no AC data. Bilinear conversion by Carney et al. shows a slightly overcorrection (2.9%), whereas the conversion by Paulus et al. provides a slight undercorrection of the PET images (-1.6%) in comparison to the no-coil measurement. The bilinear conversion proposed by Oehmigen et al. provides the most appropriate AC for the breast coil in this phantom experiment (-0.2%). A total of 23 congruent lesions could be detected in all patients. All lesions could be detected in all reconstructions. CONCLUSIONS: For the best possible PET image quality and accurate PET quantification in breast PET/MRI, the AC of MR hardware components is important. The bilinear conversion proposed by Oehmigen et al. provides the most appropriate AC for the breast coil in this study.

Initial Clinical Experience with 90Y-FAPI-46 Radioligand Therapy for Advanced-Stage Solid Tumors: A Case Series of 9 Patients.

Fibroblast activation protein (FAP) is overexpressed in several solid tumors and therefore represents an attractive target for radiotheranostic applications. Recent investigations demonstrated rapid and high uptake of small-molecule inhibitors of FAP (68Ga-FAPI-46) for PET imaging. Here, we report our initial experience of the feasibility and safety of 90Y-FAPI-46 for radioligand therapy of extensively pretreated patients with solid tumors. Methods: Patients were considered for 90Y-FAPI-46 therapy if they showed both an exhaustion of all approved therapies based on multidisciplinary tumor board decision, and high FAP expression, defined as SUVmax greater than or equal to 10 in more than 50% of all lesions. If tolerated, 90Y-FAPI-46 bremsstrahlung scintigraphy was performed after therapy to confirm systemic distribution and focal tumor uptake, and 90Y-FAPI-46 PET scans were performed at multiple time points to determine absorbed dose. Blood-based dosimetry was used to determine bone marrow absorbed dose. Adverse events were graded using Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (version 5.0). Results: Nine patients either with metastatic soft-tissue or bone sarcoma (n = 6) or with pancreatic cancer (n = 3) were treated between June 2020 and March 2021. Patients received a median of 3.8 GBq (interquartile range [IQR], 3.25-5.40 GBq) for the first cycle, and 3 patients received subsequent cycles with a median of 7.4 GBq (IQR, 7.3-7.5 GBq). Posttreatment 90Y-FAPI-46 bremsstrahlung scintigraphy demonstrated sufficient 90Y-FAPI-46 uptake in tumor lesions in 7 of 9 patients (78%). Mean absorbed dose was 0.52 Gy/GBq (IQR, 0.41-0.65 Gy/GBq) in the kidney, 0.04 Gy/GBq (IQR, 0.03-0.06 Gy/GBq) in bone marrow, and less than 0.26 Gy/GBq in the lung and liver. Measured tumor lesions received up to 2.28 Gy/GBq (median, 1.28 Gy/GBq). New laboratory G3 or G4 toxicities were noted in 4 patients (44%, n = 2 patients with thrombocytopenia only, n = 2 patients with new onset of thrombocytopenia and anemia). Other G3 or G4 laboratory-based adverse events occurred in 2 patients or fewer. No acute toxicities attributed to 90Y-FAPI-46 were noted. Radiographic disease control was noted in 4 patients (50%). Conclusion: FAP-targeted radioligand therapy with 90Y-FAPI-46 was well tolerated, with a low rate of attributable adverse events. Low radiation doses to at-risk organs suggest feasibility of repeat cycles of 90Y-FAPI-46. We observed signs of tumor response, but further studies are warranted to determine efficacy and the toxicity profile in a larger cohort.

Radiation Protection and Occupational Exposure on 68Ga-PSMA-11-Based Cerenkov Luminescence Imaging Procedures in Robot-Assisted Prostatectomy.

Cerenkov luminescence imaging (CLI) was successfully implemented in the intraoperative context as a form of radioguided cancer surgery, showing promise in the detection of surgical margins during robot-assisted radical prostatectomy. The present study was designed to provide a quantitative description of the occupational radiation exposure of surgery and histopathology personnel from CLI-guided robot-assisted radical prostatectomy after the injection of 68Ga-PSMA-11 in a single-injection PET/CT CLI protocol. Methods: Ten patients with preoperative 68Ga-PSMA-11 administration and intraoperative CLI were included. Patient dose rate was measured before PET/CT (n = 10) and after PET/CT (n = 5) at a 1-m distance for 4 patient regions (head [A], right side [B], left side [C], and feet [D]). Electronic personal dosimetry (EPD) was used for intraoperative occupational exposure (n = 10). Measurements included the first surgical assistant and scrub nurse at the operating table and the CLI imager/surgeon at the robotic console and encompassed the whole duration of surgery and CLI image acquisition. An estimation of the exposure of histopathology personnel was performed by measuring prostate specimens (n = 8) with a germanium detector. Results: The measured dose rate value before PET/CT was 5.3 ± 0.9 (average ± SD) µSv/h. This value corresponds to a patient-specific dose rate constant for positions B and C of 0.047 µSv/h⋅MBq. The average dose rate value after PET/CT was 1.04 ± 1.00 µSv/h. The patient-specific dose rate constant values corresponding to regions A to D were 0.011, 0.026, 0.024, and 0.003 µSv/h⋅MBq, respectively. EPD readings revealed average personal equivalent doses of 9.0 ± 7.1, 3.3 ± 3.9, and 0.7 ± 0.7 µSv for the first surgical assistant, scrub nurse, and CLI imager/surgeon, respectively. The median germanium detector-measured activity of the prostate specimen was 2.96 kBq (interquartile range, 2.23-7.65 kBq). Conclusion: Single-injection 68Ga-PSMA-11 PET/CT CLI procedures are associated with a reasonable occupational exposure level, if kept under 110 procedures per year. Excised prostate specimen radionuclide content was below the exemption level for 68Ga. Dose rate-based calculations provide a robust estimation for EPD measurements.

Impact of germline polymorphisms in genes regulating glucose uptake on positron emission tomography findings and outcome in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma: results from the PETAL trial.

BACKGROUND: [18F]Fluoro-deoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) is the standard imaging procedure in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). Disease presentation, FDG-PET/CT performance, and outcome may be influenced by germline single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in genes regulating glucose uptake. METHODS: Clinical variables, FDG-PET findings, and outcome were analysed in relation to SNPs in 342 DLBCL patients participating in the 'Positron Emission Tomography-Guided Therapy of Aggressive Non-Hodgkin Lymphomas' (PETAL) trial. Genes analysed included SLC2A1 (SNPs rs1385129, referred to as HaeIII; rs710218, HpyCH4V; rs841853, XbaI), VEGFA (rs3025039), HIF1A (rs11549465, P582S; rs11549467, A588T), and APEX1 (rs1130409, D148E). Statistical significance was assumed at p ≤ 0.05. RESULTS: The SLC2A1 HaeIII and HpyCH4V SNPs were tightly linked and statistically significantly associated with baseline maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) and Ann Arbor stage, with slightly lower SUVmax (HaeIII, median 18.9, interquartile range [IQR] 11.5-26.6, versus 21.6, IQR 14.4-29.7; p = 0.019) and more frequent stage IV disease (HaeIII, 44.5% versus 30.8%; p = 0.011) in minor allele carriers. As previously reported for lung cancer, the association was dependent upon the coexistent APEX1 D148E genotype. The HIF1A A588T SNP was associated with total metabolic tumour volume (TMTV) and time-to-progression, with significantly lower TMTV (median 16 cm3, IQR 7-210, versus 146 cm3, IQR 34-510; p = 0.034) and longer time-to-progression in minor allele carriers (log-rank p = 0.094). Time-to-progression was also associated with the SLC2A1 XbaI and APEX1 D148E SNPs, with shorter time-to-progression in homozygous and heterozygous SLC2A1 XbaI (HR 1.456; CI 0.930-2.280; p = 0.099) and homozygous APEX1 D148E minor allele carriers (HR 1.6; CI 1.005-2.545; p = 0.046). In multivariable analyses including SNPs, International Prognostic Index factors, sex, and B symptoms, HIF1A A588T, SLC2A1 XbaI, and APEX1 D148E retained statistical significance for time-to-progression, and SLC2A1 XbaI was also significantly associated with overall survival. CONCLUSIONS: Common SNPs in genes regulating glucose uptake may impact SUVmax, tumour distribution, tumour volume, and outcome in DLBCL. The effects on SUVmax are of low magnitude and appear clinically negligible. The results are consistent with findings in other types of cancer. They need to be confirmed in an independent DLBCL population of sufficient size. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00554164; EudraCT 2006-001641-33. Registration date November 5, 2007, https://www. CLINICALTRIALS: gov/ct2/show/NCT00554164.

CAD-based hardware attenuation correction in PET/MRI: First methodical investigations and clinical application of a 16-channel RF breast coil.

PURPOSE: Aim of this study was to evaluate the use of computer-aided design (CAD) models for attenuation correction (AC) of hardware components in positron emission tomography/magnetic resonance (PET/MR) imaging. METHODS: The technical feasibility and quantitative impact of CAD-AC compared to computer tomography (CT)-based AC (reference) was investigated on a modular phantom consisting of 19 different material samples (plastics and metals arranged around a cylindrical emission phantom) typically used in phantoms, patient tables, and radiofrequency (RF) coils in PET/MR. The clinical applicability of the CAD-AC method was then evaluated on a 16-channel RF breast coil in a PET/MR patient study. The RF breast coil in this study was specifically designed PET compatible. Using this RF breast coil, the impact on clinical PET/MR breast imaging was systematically evaluated in breast phantom measurements and, furthermore, in n = 10 PET/MR patients with breast cancer. PET data were reconstructed three times: (1) no AC (NAC), (2) established CT-AC, and (3) CAD-AC. For both phantom measurements, a scan without attenuating hardware components (material probes or RF breast coil) was acquired serving as reference. Relative differences in PET data were calculated for all experiments. RESULTS: In all phantom and patient measurements, significant gains in PET signal compared to NAC data were measurable with CT and CAD-AC. In initial phantom experiments, mean relative differences of -0.2% for CT-AC and 0.2% for CAD-AC were calculated compared to reference measurements without the material probes. The application to a RF breast coil depicts that CAD-AC results in significant gains compared to NAC data (10%) and a slight underestimation in PET signal of -1.3% in comparison to the no-coil reference measurement. In the patient study, a total of 15 congruent lesions in all 10 patients with a mean relative difference of 14% (CT and CAD-AC) in standardized uptake value compared to NAC data could be detected. CONCLUSIONS: To ensure best possible PET image quality and accurate PET quantification in PET/MR imaging, the AC of hardware components such as phantoms and RF coils is important. In initial phantom experiments and in clinical application to an RF breast coil, it was found that CAD-based AC results in significant gains in PET signal compared to NAC data and provides comparably good results to the established method of CT-based AC.

Comparison of pre- and post-contrast-enhanced attenuation correction using a CAIPI-accelerated T1-weighted Dixon 3D-VIBE sequence in 68Ga-DOTATOC PET/MRI.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the influence of contrast agent administration on attenuation correction (AC) based on a CAIPIRINHA (CAIPI)-accelerated T1-weighted Dixon 3D-VIBE sequence in 68Ga-DOTATOC PET/MRI. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Fifty-one patients with neuroendocrine tumors underwent whole-body 68Ga-DOTATOC PET/MRI for tumor staging. Two PET reconstructions were performed using AC-maps that were created using a high-resolution CAIPI-accelerated Dixon-VIBE sequence with an additional bone atlas and truncation correction using the HUGE (B0 homogenization using gradient enhancement) method before and after application of Gadolinium (Gd)-based contrast agent. Standardized uptake values (SUVs) of 21 volumes of interest (VOIs) were compared between in both PET data sets per patient. A student's t-test for paired samples was performed to test for potential differences between both AC-maps and both reconstructed PET data sets. Bonferroni correction was performed to prevent α-error accumulation, p < 0.0024 was considered to indicate statistical significance. RESULTS: Significant quantitative differences between SUVmax were found in the perirenal fat (19.65 ±â€¯48.03 %, p < 0.0001), in the axillary fat (17.46 ±â€¯63.67 %, p < 0.0001) and in the dorsal subcutaneous fat on level of lumbar vertebral body L4 (10.26 ±â€¯25.29 %, p < 0.0001). Significant differences were also evident in the lungs apical (5.80 ±â€¯10.53 %, p < 0.0001), dorsal at the level of the pulmonary trunk (15.04 ±â€¯19.09 %, p < 0.0001) and dorsal in the basal lung (51.27 ±â€¯147.61 %, p < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: The administration of (Gd)-contrast agents in this study has shown a considerable influence on the AC-maps in PET/MRI and, consequently impacted quantification in the reconstructed PET data. Therefore, dedicated PET/MRI staging protocols have to be adjusted so that AC-map acquisition is performed prior to contrast agent administration.

Evaluation of improved attenuation correction in whole-body PET/MR on patients with bone metastasis using various radiotracers.

PURPOSE: This study evaluates the quantitative effect of improved MR-based attenuation correction (AC), including bone segmentation and the HUGE method for truncation correction in PET/MR whole-body hybrid imaging specifically of oncologic patients with bone metastasis and using various radiotracers. METHODS: Twenty-three patients that underwent altogether 28 whole-body PET/MR examinations with findings of bone metastasis were included in this study. Different radiotracers (18F-FDG, 68Ga-PSMA, 68Ga-DOTATOC, 124I-MIBG) were injected according to appropriate clinical indications. Each of the 28 whole-body PET datasets was reconstructed three times using AC with (1) standard four-compartment µ-maps (background air, lung, muscle, and soft tissue), (2) five-compartment µ-maps (adding bone), and (3) six-compartment µ-maps (adding bone and HUGE truncation correction). The SUVmax of each detected bone lesion was measured in each reconstruction to evaluate the quantitative impact of improved MR-based AC. Relative difference images between four- and six-compartment µ-maps were calculated. MR-based HUGE truncation correction was compared with the PET-based MLAA truncation correction method in all patients. RESULTS: Overall, 69 bone lesions were detected and evaluated. The mean increase in relative difference over all 69 lesions in SUVmax was 5.4 ± 6.4% when comparing the improved six-compartment AC with the standard four-compartment AC. Maximal relative difference of 28.4% was measured in one lesion. Truncation correction with HUGE worked robust and resulted in realistic body contouring in all 28 exams and for all 4 different radiotracers. Truncation correction with MLAA revealed overestimations of arm tissue volume in all PET/MR exams with 18F-FDG radiotracer and failed in all other exams with radiotracers 68Ga-PSMA, 68Ga-DOTATOC, and 124I- MIBG due to limitations in body contour detection. CONCLUSION: Improved MR-based AC, including bone segmentation and HUGE truncation correction in whole-body PET/MR on patients with bone lesions and using various radiotracers, is important to ensure best possible diagnostic image quality and accurate PET quantification. The HUGE method for truncation correction based on MR worked robust and results in realistic body contouring, independent of the radiotracers used.

Hybrid imaging for detection of carcinoma of unknown primary: A preliminary comparison trial of whole-body PET/MRI versus PET/CT.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study is to evaluate and compare the diagnostic potential of integrated whole-body [18F]FDG-PET/MRI to [18F]FDG-PET/CT for detection of a potential primary cancer and metastases in patients suspected for cancer of unknown primary (CUP). METHODS: A total of 20 patients (15 male, 5 female, age 53±13 years) suspect for CUP underwent a dedicated head and neck & whole-body [18F]FDG-PET/CT (Biograph mCT 128, Siemens Healthcare) and a subsequent simultaneous [18F]FDG-PET/MRI examination (Biograph mMR, Siemens Healthcare). Two readers rated the datasets (PET/CT; PET/MRI) regarding the detection of the primary cancer and metastases, lesion conspicuity (4-point ordinal scale) and diagnostic confidence (3-point ordinal scale). PET analysis comprised the assessment of maximum standardized uptake values (SUVmax) of all PET-positive lesions using volume of interest (VOI) analysis derived from the PET/CT and PET/MR datasets. All available data considering histology and imaging including prior and clinical follow-up examinations served as reference standard. Statistical analysis included comparison of mean values using Mann-Whitney U test and correlation of SUVmax using Pearson's correlation. RESULTS: In 14 out of 20 patients 49 malignant lesions were present. The primary cancer could be correctly identified in 11/20 patients with both PET/CT and PET/MRI. PET/CT enabled the detection of a total 38 metastases, PET/MR respectively of 37 metastases (one lung metastasis <5mm was missed). PET/CT and PET/MRI showed comparably high lesion conspicuity (2.6±0.6 each), with superior assessment of cervical lesions in PET/MRI and an indicated superior assessment of pulmonary lesions in PET/CT. Diagnostic confidence was rated comparably high in PET/CT and PET/MRI (2.7±0.5 each). The mean values of SUVmax of all PET-positive lesions (PET/MRT 7.9±4.2 vs. PET/CT 7.2±3.5) showed a strong positive correlation between the SUVs derived from both hybrid imaging systems (Pearson's correlation r=0.927). CONCLUSIONS: Both hybrid imaging techniques provide a comparable diagnostic ability for detection of primary cancer and metastases in patients with CUP, with comparably high lesion conspicuity and diagnostic confidence, offering superior assessment of cervical lesions in PET/MRI and potentially of pulmonary lesions in PET/CT. Furthermore, due to the significantly lower dose of ionizing radiation, PET/MRI may serve as a powerful alternative to PET/CT, particularly for therapy monitoring and/or surveillance considering the long-term cumulative dose.

Prognostic impact of incomplete surgical clearance of radioiodine sensitive local lymph node metastases diagnosed by post-operative (124)I-NaI-PET/CT in patients with papillary thyroid cancer.

PURPOSE: Nodal involvement is an independent risk factor of recurrence in papillary thyroid cancer (PTC). Neither the international guidelines nor the recently introduced ongoing risk adaptation concept consider the extent of initial surgical clearance of radioiodine sensitive lymph node metastases in their stratification systems. We investigated the prognostic relevance of incomplete initial surgical clearance in patients with purely lymphogeneous metastatic PTC (pN1 M0) despite successful radioiodine therapy. Accurate assessment of pre-ablative nodal status was attempted using PET/CT studies with both (124)I-NaI and (18)F-FDG along with high-resolution cervical ultrasound. METHODS: Sixty-five patients with histologically diagnosed lymph node metastases (pN1 M0) were retrospectively analyzed. Patients with iodine-negative lymph node metastases diagnosed by (18)F-FDG PET/CT or distant metastases were excluded from the analysis. The association of disease recurrence with the pre-ablative nodal status, as well as other baseline characteristics, were examined applying nonparametric tests for independent samples and multiple regression analysis. Patients with persistent lymph node metastases in (124)I-NaI PET/CT were further divided according to the additional presence or absence of FDG-uptake in (18)F-FDG PET/CT. Survival analyses were performed using Kaplan-Meier curves and the Cox proportional hazards model for uni- and multivariate analyses to assess the influence of prognostic factors on progression free survival (PFS). RESULTS: Incomplete metastatic lymph node resection captured by (124)I-NaI PET/CT (n = 33) was an independent risk factor for recurrence (61 % vs 25 %, p = 0.006) and shorter PFS (46 months vs not reached, HR 4.0 [95 %-CI, 1.7-9.2], p = 0.001). Ultrasound could detect lymph node metastases only in 19/33 patients (58 %). Among patients with positive nodal status, FDG-avidity of metastatic iodine positive lymph nodes worsened the outcome (16 vs 69 months, p = 0.047). From all other investigated factors including age, N-stage (N1a vs N1b), and T-Stage (T4 vs T1-3), only large tumor size (pT4) had a significant impact on PFS (HR 2.9 [95 %-CI, 1.3-6.4], p = 0.007). CONCLUSIONS: Incomplete initial surgical clearance of lymph node metastases even after successful radioiodine therapy may increase the chances of recurrence and is an independent risk factor for impaired survival of patients with PTC. Pre-ablative (dual tracer PET/CT) imaging with (124)I-Na and (18)F provides a prognostic tool for these patients and may considerably complement the current risk stratification systems.