Role of (18)F-choline PET/CT in evaluation of patients with prostate carcinoma

BACKGROUND: Choline presents a high affinity for malignant prostate tissue. It can be labelled with positron emitting (18)F, and used for the evaluation of patients with prostate carcinoma by PET/CT imaging. The aim of this paper is to summarise our experience with fluoromethylcholine ((18)F-choline) PET/CT in patients with prostate cancer. METHODS: In 4 months we investigated the patients with histopathological (or cytological) confirmed prostate cancer. Two observers evaluated the early and late (18)F-choline PET images in correlation with corresponding localising CT images and using the semiquantitative standard uptake value (SUV) calculation. RESULTS: The (18)F-choline PET/CT was made in 50 patients with prostate cancer. There were 18 patients after radical prostatectomy and 32 without surgery. In all patients without surgery the pathological uptake was seen in the prostate. In 14 (44 %) patients of this group there was evidence of metastatic spread in local or distant lymph nodes and/or bones. In out of 18 patients after radical prostatectomy the local recurrence was detected in 6 patients (33%) and distant metastases were present in 2 patients (10%). CONCLUSIONS: (18)F-choline PET/CT seems to be useful imaging modality in patients with prostate carcinoma; it can demonstrate spread of the disease preoperatively and detect the local recurrence after radical prostatectomy.