Positron emission tompography with radiolabeled (with 11C- or 18F-) choline has received much attention, particularly in Europe and Japan, over the past several years.
While monitoring cellular membrane lipogenesis with radiolabeled choline is nonspecific for cancer, the malignancy-induced increased demand for cellular membrane synthesis can be a useful feature for imaging-based diagnosis and treatment evaluation. Many choline PET(/CT) studies have focused on prostate cancer given that 18F-flurodeoxyglucose appears to be primarily useful in progressive metastatic disease and is overall limited in the initial staging of disease or for evaluation of men with biochemical recurrence. The current evidence suggests that choline PET(/CT), particularly the 18F- label, may become routinely available, initially in many European countries, for the clinical imaging evaluation of men with prostate cancer.
Written by:
Jadvar H. Are you the author?
Department of Radiology, Keck School of Medicine of USC, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California.
Reference: Theranostics. 2012;2(3):331-2.
doi: 10.7150/thno.4288
PubMed Abstract
PMID: 22448199
UroToday.com Prostate Cancer Section