PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Buck, Andreas K.
AU  - Bommer, Martin
AU  - Stilgenbauer, Stephan
AU  - Juweid, Malik
AU  - Glatting, Gerhard
AU  - Schirrmeister, Holger
AU  - Mattfeldt, Torsten
AU  - Tepsic, Djurdja
AU  - Bunjes, Donald
AU  - Mottaghy, Felix M.
AU  - Krause, Bernd J.
AU  - Neumaier, Bernd
AU  - Döhner, Hartmut
AU  - Möller, Peter
AU  - Reske, Sven N.
TI  - Molecular Imaging of Proliferation in Malignant Lymphoma
AID  - 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-06-1955
DP  - 2006 Nov 15
TA  - Cancer Research
PG  - 11055--11061
VI  - 66
IP  - 22
4099  - http://cancerres.aacrjournals.org/content/66/22/11055.short
4100  - http://cancerres.aacrjournals.org/content/66/22/11055.full
SO  - Cancer Res2006 Nov 15; 66
AB  - We have determined the ability of positron emission tomography (PET) with the thymidine analogue 3′-deoxy-3′-[18F]fluorothymidine (FLT) to detect manifestation sites of malignant lymphoma, to assess proliferative activity, and to differentiate aggressive from indolent tumors. In this prospective study, FLT-PET was done additionally to routine staging procedures in 34 patients with malignant lymphoma. Sixty minutes after i.v. injection of ∼330 MBq FLT, emission and transmission scanning was done. Tracer uptake in lymphoma was evaluated semiquantitatively by calculation of standardized uptake values (SUV) and correlated to tumor grading and proliferation fraction as determined by Ki-67 immunohistochemistry. FLT-PET detected a total of 490 lesions compared with 420 lesions revealed by routine staging. In 11 patients with indolent lymphoma, mean FLT-SUV in biopsied lesions was 2.3 (range, 1.2-4.5). In 21 patients with aggressive lymphoma, a significantly higher FLT uptake was observed (mean FLT-SUV, 5.9; range, 3.2-9.2; P < 0.0001) and a cutoff value of SUV = 3 accurately discriminated between indolent and aggressive lymphoma. Linear regression analysis indicated significant correlation of FLT uptake in biopsied lesions and proliferation fraction (r = 0.84; P < 0.0001). In this clinical study, FLT-PET was suitable for imaging malignant lymphoma and noninvasive assessment of tumor grading. Due to specific imaging of proliferation, FLT may be a superior PET tracer for detection of malignant lymphoma in organs with high physiologic fluorodeoxyglucose uptake and early detection of progression to a more aggressive histology or potential transformation. (Cancer Res 2006; 66(22): 11055-61) ©2006 American Association for Cancer Research.