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Thallium-201 SPECT in prognostic assessment of malignant gliomas treated with postoperative radiotherapy
Takatoshi Semba1, Yoshifumi Sugawara, Takashi Ochi
1Department of Radiology, Ehime University School of Medicine.
Objective:
This study was designed to investigate the value of preoperative thallium-201 (201Tl) SPECT as a predictor of outcome in malignant glioma.
Methods:
From January 1990 to September 2003, 109 patients with glioma were treated with postoperative radiotherapy. Of these, 36 patients with malignant gliomas who underwent preoperative 201Tl-SPECT were included in this study (grade 3: n=14, grade 4: n=22). On early (10 minutes) and delayed (2 hours) images after 111 MBq 201TlCl injection, we calculated radioactivity ratios of tumors to contralateral normal brain (T/N ratios) and retention indices (RIs). For early and delayed images, we compared outcome between a high T/N ratio group (T/N ratio equal or greater than the average) and a low T/N ratio group (T/N ratio less than the average). We also divided the patients into two groups on the basis of RI; a high RI group (RI equal or greater than the average) and a low RI group (RI less than the average), and similarly compared outcome between the two groups.
Results:
Median survival time was 12 months for both grade 3 and grade 4 tumors; however, two-year survival was 53% for grade 3 and 15% for grade 4. In both early and delayed images, outcome was significantly better for patients with low T/N ratios (early < 4.71, delayed < 3.96) than those with high T/N ratios (early: p = 0.030, delayed: p = 0.049). However, no significant survival difference was apparent between the low- (< -12.25) and high RI groups. In grade 3 glioma, patients with high T/N ratios demonstrated a tendency toward poorer outcome, although this trend was not significant (early: p = 0.079, delayed: p = 0.099). Overall outcome was poor for grade 4 glioma, and the difference in survival between low and high T/N ratio groups was not significant (early: p = 0.51, delayed: p = 0.53). However, long survival was seen only in patients with lower T/N ratios.
Conclusions:
Differences of 201Tl uptake in malignant gliomas could predict outcome. 201Tl-SPECT is potentially useful in the management of patients with malignant gliomas.
