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Clinical insignificance of [18F]PSMA-1007 avid non-specific bone lesions: a retrospective evaluation

European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

[18F]PSMA-1007 offers advantages of low urinary tracer excretion and theoretical improved spatial resolution for imaging prostate cancer. However, non-specific bone lesions (NSBLs), defined as mild to moderate focal bone uptake without a typical morphological correlate on CT, are a common finding on [18F]PSMA-1007 PET/CT. The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical outcomes of patients with [18F]PSMA-1007 avid NSBLs, to determine whether patients with NSBLs represent a higher risk clinical cohort, and to determine whether SUVmax can be used as a classifier of bone metastasis.

Methods

A retrospective audit of 214 men with prostate cancer was performed to investigate the clinical outcomes of [18F]PSMA-1007 avid NSBLs according to defined criteria. We also compared the serum PSA, Gleason score, and uptake time of patients with [18F]PSMA-1007 avid NSBLs to patients without [18F]PSMA-1007 avid bone lesions. Finally, we analysed an SUVmax threshold to identify bone metastases using ROC curve analysis.

Results

Ninety-four of 214 patients (43.9%) demonstrated at least one NSBL. No [18F]PSMA-1007 avid NSBLs met criteria for a likely malignant or definitely malignant lesion after a median 15.8-month follow-up interval (11.9% definitely benign, 50.3% likely benign, and 37.7% equivocal). There were no statistically significant differences in serum PSA, Gleason score, and uptake time between patients with [18F]PSMA-1007 avid NSBLs and those without [18F]PSMA-1007 avid bone lesions. All NSBLs with adequate follow-up had SUVmax ≤ 11.1. The value of the highest SUVmax distinguished between NSBLs and definite prostate cancer bone metastases, whereby an SUVmax threshold of ≥ 7.2 maximized the Youden’s index.

Conclusion

[18F]PSMA-1007 avid NSBLs rarely represent prostate cancer bone metastases. When identified in the absence of definite metastatic disease elsewhere, it is appropriate to classify those with SUVmax < 7.2 as likely benign. NSBLs with SUVmax 7.2–11.1 may be classified as equivocal or metastatic, with patient clinical risk factors, scan appearance, and potential management implications used to guide interpretation.

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Data availability

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Code availability

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Funding

No funding was received for conducting this study. Matthew J Roberts is supported by a Clinician Research Fellowship from the Metro North Office of Research, Queensland Health, and a Doctor in Training Research Scholarship from Avant Mutual Group Pty Ltd.

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Correspondence to Evyn G. Arnfield.

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This retrospective audit was approved by the institutional review board of the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital the need for written informed consent was waived.

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Evyn G. Arnfield as first author.

This article is part of the Topical Collection on Oncology - Genitourinary

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Arnfield, E.G., Thomas, P.A., Roberts, M.J. et al. Clinical insignificance of [18F]PSMA-1007 avid non-specific bone lesions: a retrospective evaluation. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging 48, 4495–4507 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00259-021-05456-3

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