Correlation between choline kinase alpha expression and (11)C-choline accumulation in breast cancer using positron emission tomography/computed tomography: a retrospective study

Choline kinase (CK) is reportedly overexpressed in various malignancies. Among its isoforms, CKα overexpression is presumably related to oncogenic change. Choline positron emission tomography (PET) is reportedly useful for detecting and evaluating therapy outcomes in malignancies. In this study, we investigated the correlation between CKα expression and (11)C-choline accumulation in breast cancer cells. We also compared the CKα expression level with other pathological findings for investigating tumour activity. Fifty-six patients with breast cancer (mean age: 51 years) who underwent their first medical examination between May 2007 and December 2008 were enrolled. All the patients underwent (11)C-choline PET/computed tomography imaging prior to surgery. The maximum standardised uptake value was recorded for evaluating (11)C-choline accumulation. The intensity of CKα expression was classified using immunostaining. A significant correlation was observed between CKα expression and (11)C-choline accumulation (P < 0.0001). A comparison of breast cancer mortality demonstrated that strong CKα expression was associated with a shorter survival time (P < 0.0001). (11)C-choline accumulation was also negatively correlated with survival time (P < 0.0001). Tumours with strong CKα expression are reportedly highly active in breast cancer. A correlation was observed between CKα expression and (11)C-choline accumulation, suggesting their role as prognostic indicators of breast cancer.