Abstract
Purpose
High-grade prostate cancer (PC) displays parasympathetic neoneurogenesis. We investigated the binding of two PET tracers that visualize cholinergic nerves in PC tissue using autoradiography.
Methods
Prostatectomy tissue was subjected to autoradiography with 11C-donepezil and 18F-FEOBV and correlated with Gleason scores (GS). Regions of interest on the autoradiograms were defined and quantified. Tracer binding in cancer tissue regions was compared with that in normal tissue.
Results
We included 13 patients with biopsy-verified PC. In particular, 11C-donepezil uptake was higher in “high-grade” PC (GS ≥4 + 3) than in “low-grade” PC and benign hyperplasia. 11C-donepezil uptake ranged from a mean of 56 % higher (GS 3 + 3) to 409 % higher (GS 4 + 4), and 18F-FEOBV uptake ranged from 67 % higher (GS 3 + 3) to 194 % higher (GS 4 + 5). The uptake of both tracers was higher in PC with a high GS than in PC with a low GS, but the difference was significant only for 11C-donepezil (p = 0.003).
Conclusion
Uptake of PET tracers binding to cholinergic nerves was markedly higher in PC with a high GS than in PC with a low GS. This finding implies that 11C-donepezil PET/CT may be able to differentiate between low-grade and high-grade PC.
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Compliance with ethical standards
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Funding
This study was funded by the Danish Cancer Society.
Conflicts of interest
None.
Ethical approval
The study was approved by the Central Denmark Region Committee on Health Research.
Informed consent
Informed consent to the diagnostic investigation and treatment was given by all patients. This study only used prostatectomy tissue, so informed consent to the autoradiography study was waived in accordance with Danish legislation.
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Stokholm, M.G., Høyer, S., Borre, M. et al. Molecular imaging of cholinergic processes in prostate cancer using 11C-donepezil and 18F-FEOBV. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging 43, 906–910 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00259-015-3143-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00259-015-3143-1