Investigation of cis-4-[18F]Fluoro-D-Proline Uptake in Human Brain Tumors After Multimodal Treatment.

OBJECTIVE

Cis-4-[18F]fluoro-D-proline (D-cis-[18F]FPro) has been shown to pass the intact blood-brain barrier and to accumulate in areas of secondary neurodegeneration and necrosis in the rat brain while uptake in experimental brain tumors is low. This pilot study explores the uptake behavior of D-cis-[18F]FPro in human brain tumors after multimodal treatment.

METHODS

In a prospective study, 27 patients with suspected recurrent brain tumor after treatment with surgery, radiotherapy, and/or chemotherapy (SRC) were investigated by dynamic positron emission tomography (PET) using D-cis-[18F]FPro (22 high-grade gliomas, one unspecified glioma, and 4 metastases). Furthermore, two patients with untreated lesions were included (one glioblastoma, one reactive astrogliosis). Data were compared with the results of PET using O-(2-[18F]fluoroethyl)-L-tyrosine ([18F]FET) which detects viable tumor tissue. Tracer distribution, mean and maximum lesion-to-brain ratios (LBRmean, LBRmax), and time-to-peak (TTP) of the time activity curve (TAC) of tracer uptake were evaluated. Final diagnosis was determined by histology (n = 9), clinical follow-up (n = 10), or by [18F]FET PET (n = 10).

RESULTS

D-cis-[18F]FPro showed high uptake in both recurrent brain tumors (n = 11) and lesions classified as treatment-related changes (TRC) only (n = 16) (LBRmean 2.2 ± 0.7 and 2.1 ± 0.6, n.s.; LBRmax 3.4 ± 1.2 and 3.2 ± 1.3, n.s.). The untreated glioblastoma and the lesion showing reactive astrogliosis exhibited low D-cis-[18F]FPro uptake. Distribution of [18F]FET and D-cis-[18F]FPro uptake was discordant in 21/29 cases indicating that the uptake mechanisms are different.

CONCLUSIONS

The high accumulation of D-cis-[18F]FPro in pretreated brain tumors and TRC supports the hypothesis that tracer uptake is related to cell death. Further studies before and after therapy are needed to assess the potential of D-cis-[18F]FPro for treatment monitoring.