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68Ga-DOTA0-Tyr3-octreotide positron emission tomography in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

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Abstract

Purpose

68Ga-labelled DOTA0-Tyr3-octreotide positron emission tomography (PET)/CT (68Ga-DOTATOC PET/CT) is a routinely used imaging modality for neuroendocrine tumours expressing somatostatin receptors (SSTRs). Recent studies have shown that SSTRs are also expressed in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). This is the first prospective clinical trial investigating SSTR expression in patients with HNSCC using 68Ga-DOTATOC.

Methods

Patients with previously untreated HNSCC underwent 68Ga-DOTATOC PET/CT (120 MBq, range 81–150 MBq). Tumour tracer uptake was scored, the maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) was measured and the tumour to background uptake ratio was calculated. For each patient, PET/CT findings were correlated with immunohistochemical SSTR expression in tumour specimens.

Results

Fifteen HNSCC patients were included in the study from May 2011 to May 2012. Tumour-specific 68Ga-DOTATOC uptake was detected in all patients with an median SUVmax of 4.0 (range 2.2–6.5). Uptake was weak in seven (47 %), moderate in five (33 %) and strong in three (20 %) patients. All tumour specimens were SSTR positive on immunohistochemistry. Of the 15 patients, 14 were positive for SSTR subtype 2, characterized by the highest affinity to octreotide.

Conclusion

SSTR expression in HNSCC can be visualized clinically using 68Ga-DOTATOC PET/CT. SSTR expression in HNSCC could provide a potential target for SSTR-based therapy in patients not amenable to standard treatment modalities, but this cannot be predicted by SSTR immunohistochemistry.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Medical University Innsbruck, Anichstrasse 35, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria

    Volker H. Schartinger, József Dudás, Christoph Url, Johannes Schnabl & Herbert Riechelmann

  2. Department of Maxillofacial Surgery, Medical University Innsbruck, Anichstrasse 35, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria

    Michael Rasse

  3. Department of Medical Statistics, Informatics and Health Economics, Medical University Innsbruck, Anichstrasse 35, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria

    Georg Göbel

  4. Department of Nuclear Medicine, Medical University Innsbruck, Anichstrasse 35, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria

    Clemens Decristoforo, Irene J. Virgolini, Dietmar Waitz & Daniel Putzer

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  1. Volker H. Schartinger
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  2. József Dudás
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  3. Clemens Decristoforo
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  4. Christoph Url
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  6. Georg Göbel
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  7. Irene J. Virgolini
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  8. Herbert Riechelmann
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  9. Michael Rasse
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  11. Daniel Putzer
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Correspondence to Volker H. Schartinger.

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Schartinger, V.H., Dudás, J., Decristoforo, C. et al. 68Ga-DOTA0-Tyr3-octreotide positron emission tomography in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging 40, 1365–1372 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00259-013-2442-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00259-013-2442-7

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