Nuklearmedizin 2016; 55(03): 99-103
DOI: 10.3413/Nukmed-0766-15-09
Original article
Schattauer GmbH

Initial [18F]FDG PET/CT in high-risk DTC patients

A three-year follow-upInitiale [18F]FDG-PET/CT bei Hochrisikopatientenmit differenziertem Schilddrüsenkarzinom Follow-up von drei Jahren
Marcus Ruhlmann
1   Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital, University Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
,
Ina Binse
1   Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital, University Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
,
Andreas Bockisch
1   Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital, University Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
,
Sandra J. Rosenbaum-Krumme
1   Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital, University Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
› Institutsangaben
Weitere Informationen

Publikationsverlauf

received: 18. September 2015

accepted in revised form: 18. Januar 2016

Publikationsdatum:
06. März 2018 (online)

Summary

In a previous paper, we published the impact of initial [18F]FDG PET/CT (FDG-PET/CT) in high-risk patients with differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) and described the changes in therapy management. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the prognostic impact of the initial FDG-PET/CT on a patient’s follow-up over three years and the rate of complete remission. Patients, methods: This study included 109 DTC patients who underwent radioiodine treatment (RIT), including posttherapeutic whole-body scintigraphy with FDG-PET/CT and a follow-up over three years. The follow-up included high-resolution sonography of the neck and determination of serum Tg as well as Tg antibodies every six months. The results of initial FDG-PET/CT and whole-body scintigraphy were compared with the status after three years of follow-up. Results: 24/109 patients (22%) presented FDG-positive lesions, 22/109 patients (20%) only iodine-positive lesions, and 63/109 patients (58%) neither FDG-positive nor iodine-positive lesions. After three years, 83/109 patients (76%) revealed full remission, 15/109 patients (14%) tumour persistence and 11/109 patients (10%) a progressive disease. The negative predictive value (NPV) was calculated for patients without FDG-positive lesions (NPV 85%) and patients without any lesions (NPV 91%) regarding full remission in the follow-up. Conclusion: FDG-PET/CT has a high NPV (85% to 91%) in DTC patients regarding recurrence-free follow-up after three years. The change in patient management in patients with iodine-negative lesions can lead to a higher rate of full remissions in the follow-up after additional surgery. Therefore, FDG-PET/ CT should be performed in all high-risk DTC patients in the context of the first RIT to improve patient management and risk stratification.

Zusammenfassung

In einem früheren Paper haben wir die Bedeutung der initialen [18F]FDG PET/CT (FDG-PET/ CT) bei Hochrisikopatienten mit differenziertem Schilddrüsenkarzinom (DTC) untersucht und die Änderungen im Therapiemanagement beschrieben. Das Ziel dieser Studie war, den prognostischen Einfluss der initialen FDG-PET/CT auf die Nachsorge über drei Jahre und die Rate der Vollremissionen zu untersuchen. Patienten, Methoden: 109 DTC- Patienten nahmen teil, bei denen eine Radioiodtherapie (RIT) mit posttherapeutischer Ganzkörperszintigraphie und eine FDG- PET/CT durchgeführt wurde sowie eine Nachsorge von drei Jahren. Die Nachsorge be inhaltete halbjährliche Ultraschalluntersuchungen des Halses mit Thyreoglobulinbestimmungen (inkl. Antikörper). Die Ergebnisse der posttherapeutischen Ganzkörperszintigraphie und FDG-PET/ CT wurden mit den Ergebnissen der Nachsorge nach drei Jahren verglichen. Ergebnisse: 24/109 Patienten (22%) zeigten FDG-positive Läsionen, 22/109 Patienten (20%) nur Iod-positive Läsionen und 63/109 Patienten (58%) weder FDG- noch Iod-positive Läsionen. Nach drei Jahren erreichten 83/109 Patienten (76%) eine Vollremission, 15/109 Patienten (14%) zeigten eine Tumorpersistenz und 11/109 Patienten (10%) waren progredient. Der negative prädiktive Wert wurde für Patienten ohne FDG-positive Läsionen (NPV 85%) und für Patienten ohne Läsionen (NPV 91%) bezüglich Vollremission nach drei Jahren berechnet. Schlussfolgerung: Die FDG-PET/CT hat einen hohen NPV (85% bis 91%) bei DTC-Patienten bezüglich einer Vollremission nach drei Jahren. Die Therapieänderung bei Patienten mit Iod-negativen und FDG-positiven Läsionen kann zu einer Verbesserung der Zahl von Vollremissionen führen. Daher sollte die FDG-PET/CT im Rahmen der ersten Radioiodtherapie bei Hochrisikopatienten zur Verbesserung des Patienten managements und der Risiko stratifizierung regelhaft erfolgen.

 
  • References

  • 1 Cooper DS, Doherty GM, Haugen BR. et al. Revised American Thyroid Association management guidelines for patients with thyroid nodules and differentiated thyroid cancer. Thyroid 2009; 19: 1167-1214.
  • 2 Dietlein M, Dressler J, Eschner W. et al. Procedure guidelines for radioiodine therapy of differentiated thyroid cancer (version 3). Nuklearmedizin 2007; 46: 213-219.
  • 3 Feine U, Lietzenmayer R, Hanke J-P. et al. Fluorine-18-FDG and iodine-131-iodide uptake in thyroid cancer. J Nucl Med 1996; 37: 1468-1472.
  • 4 Finkelstein SE, Grigsby PW, Siegel BA. et al. Combined [18F]fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography and computed tomography (FDG-PET/CT) for detection of recurrent, 131I-negative thyroid cancer. Ann Surg Oncol 2008; 15: 286-292.
  • 5 Giammarile F, Hafdi Z, Bournaud C. et al. Is [18F]-2-fluoro-2-deoxy-d-glucose (FDG) scintigraphy with non-dedicated positron emission tomography useful in the diagnostic management of suspected metastatic thyroid carcinoma in patients with no detectable radioiodine uptake?. Eur J Endocrinol 2003; 149: 293-300.
  • 6 Grabellus F, Nagarajah J, Bockisch A. et al. Glucose transporter 1 expression, tumor proliferation, and iodine/glucose uptake in thyroid cancer with emphasis on poorly differentiated thyroid carcinoma. Clin Nucl Med 2012; 37: 121-127.
  • 7 Grünwald F, Kälicke T, Feine U. et al. Fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography in thyroid cancer: results of a multicentre study. Eur J Nucl Med 1999; 26: 1547-1552.
  • 8 Kuba VM, Caetano R, Coeli CM, Vaisman M. Utility of positron emission tomography with fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG-PET) in the evaluation of thyroid cancer: a systematic review. Arq Bras Endocrinol Metab 2007; 51: 961-971.
  • 9 Lee JW, Lee SM, Lee DH, Kim YJ. Clinical Utility of 18F-FDG PET/CT concurrent with 131I therapy in intermediate-to-high-risk patients with differentiated thyroid cancer: Dual-center experience with 286 patients. J Nucl Med 2013; 54: 1230-1236.
  • 10 Mazzaferri EL, Jhiang SM. Long-term impact of initial surgical and medical therapy on papillary and follicular thyroid cancer. Am J Med 1994; 97: 418-428.
  • 11 Muros MA, Llamas-Elvira JM, Ramírez-Navarro A. et al. Utility of fluorine-18-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography in differentiated thyroid carcinoma with negative radioiodine scans and elevated serum thyroglobulin levels. Am J Surg 2000; 179: 457-461.
  • 12 Nagarajah J, Ho AL, Tuttle RM. et al. Correlation of BRAFV600E Mutation and Glucose Metabolism in Thyroid Cancer Patients: An 18F-FDG PET Study. J Nucl Med 2015; 56: 662-667.
  • 13 Nascimento C, Borget I, Al Ghuzlan A. et al. Postoperative fluorine-18-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography: an important imaging modality in patients with aggressive histology of differentiated thyroid cancer. Thyroid 2015; 25: 437-444.
  • 14 Pacini F, Schlumberger M, Dralle H. et al. European consensus for the management of patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma of the follicular epithelium. Eur J Endocrinol 2006; 154: 787-803.
  • 15 Petrich T, Börner AR, Otto D. et al. Influence of rhTSH on [18F]fluorodeoxyglucose uptake by differentiated thyroid carcinoma. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging 2002; 29: 641-647.
  • 16 Robbins RJ, Wan Q, Grewal RK. et al. Real-time prognosis for metastatic thyroid carcinoma based on 2-[18F]fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose-positron emission tomography scanning. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2006; 91: 498-505.
  • 17 Rosenbaum-Krumme SJ, Görges R, Bockisch A, Binse I. 18F-FDG PET/CT changes therapy management in high-risk DTC after first radioiodine therapy. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging 2012; 39: 1373-1380.
  • 18 Tsang RW, Brierley JD, Simpson W. et al. The effects of surgery, radioiodine, and external radiation therapy on the clinical outcome of patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma. Cancer 1998; 82: 375-388.
  • 19 Van Nostrand D, Wartofsky L. Radioiodine in the treatment of thyroid cancer. Endocrinol Metab Clin North Am 2007; 36: 807-822.
  • 20 Wang W, Larson SM, Fazzari M. et al. Prognostic value of [18F]fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomographic scanning in patients with thyroid cancer. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2000; 85: 1107-1113.
  • 21 Woodrum DT, Gauger PG. Role of 131I in the treatment of well differentiated thyroid cancer. J Surg Oncol 2005; 89: 114-1121.
  • 22 Xing M, Alzahrani AS, Carson KA. et al. Association between BRAF V600E mutation and mortality in patients with papillary thyroid cancer. JAMA J Am Med Assoc 2013; 309: 1493-1501.