Comparing radioactive tracers 18F-FDG and 18F-FLT in the staging of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma by PET/CT examination: A single-center prospective study

Abstract

Background. Positron emission tomography in combination with computer tomography (PET/CT) is a very important method of imaging patients with non-Hodgkin lymphomas (NHLs). It is used to define the initial grade of the disease and to assess early response to treatment and after chemotherapy. The most commonly used radioactive tracer is 18 F-FDG, but 18 F-FLT seems to be more specific. Objectives. The aim of our study was to compare the staging of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) with PET/CT examination using 18 F-FLT and 18 F-FDG. Material and methods. The study included 33 patients with newly diagnosed DLBCL (17 women and 16 men). The median age of the patients was 57 years. In each patient, 2 PET/CT examinations were performed before treatment, one using 18 F-FLT and the second using 18 F-FDG. Results. The average maximum 18 F-FDG uptake in the whole group of patients was higher than the average maximum of 18 F-FLT. This was also true of individual patients; however, 3 patients with an aggressive disease course had greater FLT uptake than the other patients. Conclusions. Our analysis suggests that PET/CT exams using 18 F-FLT may be a useful diagnostic tool in patients with DLBCL.

Neue Radiopharmaka beim Lymphom-Imaging

“…Mehrere Studien haben den diagnostischen Nutzen der FLT PET hauptsächlich beim diffusen großzelligen B-NHL (DLBCL) untersucht. Ein prospektiver Vergleich der FDG PET mit der FLT PET im initialen Staging von DLBCL erfolgte bei 33 Patienten [1]. Hierbei zeigte sich, dass FDG einen höheren SUV (11,6 versus 8,6)…”