Enhancing Nasopharyngeal Cancer Follow-up: 68 Ga-Trivehexin PET/CT for Distinguishing Recurrence From Infection

Area of Science:

• Nuclear Medicine
• Oncology
• Radiopharmaceuticals

Background:

• 18F-FDG PET/CT is crucial for detecting nasopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (NFSCC) recurrence.
• Hypermetabolism from infection/inflammation can cause false-positive FDG uptake.
• 68Ga-Trivehexin PET/CT (TRV-PET) targets αVβ6 integrin receptors, showing potential to resolve FDG false positives.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the diagnostic utility of 68Ga-Trivehexin PET/CT against 18F-FDG PET/CT, bone scintigraphy, and leukocyte scintigraphy.
• To evaluate TRV-PET's effectiveness in differentiating local recurrence from infection in NFSCC patients.

Main Methods:

• A case report detailing imaging findings in a patient with a history of NFSCC.
• Utilized 68Ga-Trivehexin PET/CT, 18F-FDG PET/CT, 99mTc-MDP bone scintigraphy (BS), and 99mTc-HMPAO labeled leukocyte scintigraphy (LLS).
• Comparative analysis of imaging results for differential diagnosis.

Main Results:

• Presents a comparative analysis of findings from multiple imaging modalities.
• Demonstrates the potential of TRV-PET in addressing limitations of FDG PET/CT in specific NFSCC recurrence scenarios.

Conclusions:

• 68Ga-Trivehexin PET/CT shows promise as an adjunct imaging agent for NFSCC recurrence.
• TRV-PET may improve diagnostic accuracy by distinguishing true recurrence from inflammatory processes.
• Further studies are warranted to confirm the role of TRV-PET in NFSCC management.