C-11 choline PET/CT imaging for differentiating malignant from benign prostate lesions

Area of Science:

• Nuclear Medicine
• Radiology
• Oncology

Background:

• Prostate cancer (PCa) diagnosis relies on accurate differentiation from benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH).
• Novel imaging techniques are crucial for improving diagnostic accuracy and patient management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of C-11 choline Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography (PET/CT) in distinguishing PCa from BPH.
• To compare the diagnostic performance of different imaging parameters derived from C-11 choline PET/CT.

Main Methods:

• Forty-nine patients with prostate lesions underwent C-11 choline PET/CT.
• Imaging data were analyzed using maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) and the prostate-to-muscle uptake ratio (P/M).
• Histological confirmation was used as the gold standard for diagnosis.

Main Results:

• C-11 choline PET/CT demonstrated potential in differentiating PCa from BPH.
• The P/M ratio showed a significant difference between PCa (4.21 ± 1.61) and BPH (1.87 ± 0.98) (P < 0.01).
• Using a P/M cutoff of 2.3, sensitivity was 90.48%, specificity 85.71%, and negative predictive value 92.31%.

Conclusions:

• C-11 choline PET/CT is a valuable noninvasive tool for PCa diagnosis.
• The P/M ratio is a more effective parameter than SUVmax for differentiating PCa from benign prostate lesions.
• Precise localization of uptake by PET/CT aids in diagnosis.