Diagnostic value of two-time point [(68)Ga]Ga-PSMA-11 PET/CT in the primary staging of untreated prostate cancer

The emerging PET tracer [(68)Ga]Ga-PSMA-11 has been established for staging in prostate cancer (PCa). Aim was to determine the value of early static imaging in two-phase PET/CT. 100 men with newly diagnosed histopathologically confirmed untreated PCa who underwent [(68)Ga]Ga-PSMA-11 PET/CT from January 2017 to October 2019 were included. The two-phase imaging protocol consisted of an early static scan of the pelvis (6 min p.i.) and a late total-body scan (60 min p.i). Associations of semi-quantitative parameters derived via volumes of interest (VOI) with Gleason grade group and PSA were investigated. In 94/100 patients (94%) the primary tumor was detected in both phases. In 29/100 patients (29%) metastases were detected at a median PSA level of 32.2 ng/ml (0.41–503 ng/ml). In 71/100 patients (71%) without metastasis a median PSA level of 10.1 ng/ml (0.57–103 ng/ml) was observed (p = < 0.001). Primary tumors demonstrated a median standard uptake value maximum (SUVmax) of 8.2 (3.1–45.3) in early phase versus 12.2 (3.1–73.4) in late phase and a median standard uptake value mean (SUVmean) of 4.2 (1.6–24.1) in early phase versus 5.8 (1.6–39.9) in late phase, significantly increasing over time (p = < 0.001). Higher SUVmax and SUVmean were associated with higher Gleason grade group (p = 0.004 and p = 0.003, respectively) and higher PSA levels (p = < 0.001). In 13/100 patients the semi-quantitative parameters including SUVmax were declining in the late phase compared to early phase. Two-phase [(68)Ga]Ga-PSMA-11 PET/CT demonstrates a high detection rate for primary tumor of untreated PCa of 94% and improves diagnostic accuracy. Higher PSA levels and Gleason grade group are associated with higher semi-quantitative parameters in the primary tumor. Early imaging provides additional information in a small sub-group with declining semi-quantitative parameters in the late phase.