PET Metabolic Biomarkers for Cancer

Abstract

The body’s main fuel sources are fats, carbohydrates (glucose), proteins, and ketone bodies. It is well known that an important hallmark of cancer cells is the overconsumption of glucose. Positron emission tomography (PET) imaging using the glucose analog 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) has been a powerful cancer diagnostic tool for many decades. Apart from surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy represent the two main domains for cancer therapy, targeting tumor proliferation, cell division, and DNA replication—all processes that require a large amount of energy. Currently, in vivo clinical imaging of metabolism is performed almost exclusively using PET radiotracers that assess oxygen consumption and mechanisms of energy substrate consumption. This paper reviews the utility of PET imaging biomarkers for the detection of cancer proliferation, vascularization, metabolism, treatment response, and follow-up after radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and chemotherapy-related side effects.

Labelled Chemical Probes for Demonstrating Direct Target Engagement in Living Systems

“…Positron emission tomography (PET) is a clinical imaging tool that has been widely applied to address key questions in drug development and study drug biodistribution and target occupancy [48]. For example, 18 F-fluorodeoxyglucose ( 18 F-FDG), an 18 F-labelled glucose derivative, has been extensively used as a PET biomarker to assess the function of metabolic pathways and diagnose or study cancer [49] and neurodegenerative diseases [50,51]. These PET biomarker probes aim to study biological processes in abnormal disease states and also potential changes in response to a therapeutic [52][53][54].…”

Association Between Maximum Standardize Uptake Value and Prognostic Factors at Endometrioid Type Endometrial Carcinoma

“…Fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography / computed tomography (FDG PET/CT) is a method of imaging using metabolic changes in cancer cells (2,3). Tumor perfusion and metabolism scanning can be performed using carbon-11, fluor-18 (18F), nitrogen-13, oxygen-15 and rubidium-82 radioisotopes (4). 18F-FDG passes through the cell membrane in the same way as glucose but cannot be metabolized by phosphofructokinase-1.…”

“…18F-FDG passes through the cell membrane in the same way as glucose but cannot be metabolized by phosphofructokinase-1. Thus, 18F-FDG remaining in the cell reflects glucose uptake into the cell (4). Standardize uptake value (SUV) is a marker of tumor aggression and a marker of metabolic change in cancer tissues (2)(3)(4).…”

Is the measurement of the size of uterine lesions with positron emission tomography consistent in pre- and postmenopausal periods in endometrioid-type endometrial cancer?

“…Fluorine-18 ( 18 F) fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) is an imaging modality used to obtain anatomic and metabolic data on cancer cells in numerous malignancies ( 2 , 3 ) . It is helpful to evaluate tumor perfusion and metabolism screening using the following radioisotopes: carbon-11, 18 F, nitrogen-13, oxygen-15 and rubidium-82 ( 4 ) . Of these, 18 F-FDG passes through the cell membrane in the same way as glucose and is effectively trapped when it is phosphorylated and cannot be metabolized by the following enzyme: phosphofructokinase-1.…”

“…Of these, 18 F-FDG passes through the cell membrane in the same way as glucose and is effectively trapped when it is phosphorylated and cannot be metabolized by the following enzyme: phosphofructokinase-1. Thus, 18 F-FDG remaining within the cell reflects glucose uptake into the cell ( 4 ) . The standardized uptake value (SUV) is accepted as an indicator of tumor aggressiveness and a marker for metabolic alterations in cancer tissues ( 2 , 3 , 4 ) .…”