Multiple myeloma (MM) is the second most common haematological malignancy and remains incurable despite therapeutic advances. 18F-FDG (FDG) PET/CT is a relevant tool MM for staging and it is the reference imaging technique for treatment evaluation. However, it has limitations, and investigation of other PET tracers is required. Preliminary results with L-methyl-[11C]- methionine (MET), suggest higher sensitivity than 18F-FDG. This study aimed to compare the diagnostic accuracy and prognostic value of 1FDG and MET in MM patients. We prospectively compared FDG and MET PET/CT for assessment of bone disease and extramedullary disease (EMD) in a series of 52 consecutive patients (8 smoldering MM, 18 newly diagnosed MM and 26 relapsed MM patients). Bone marrow (BM) uptake patterns and the detection of focal lesions (FLs) and EMD were compared. Furthermore, FDG PET parameters with known MM prognostic value were explored for both tracers, as well as total lesion MET uptake (TLMU). Median patient age was 61 years (range, 37-83 years), 54% were male, 13% of them were in stage ISS (International Staging System) III, and 31% had high-risk cytogenetics. FDG PET/CT did not detect active disease in 6 patients, while they were shown to be positive by MET PET/CT. Additionally, MET PET/CT identified a higher number of FLs than FDG in more than half of the patients (63%). For prognostication we focussed on the relapsed cohort, due to the low number of progressions in the two other cohorts. Upon using FDG PET/CT in relapsed patients, the presence of more than 3 FLs (HR 4.61, p = 0.056), more than 10 FLs (HR 5.65, p = 0.013), total metabolic tumor volume (TMTV) p50 (HR 4.91, p = 0.049) or TMTV p75 (HR 5.32, p = 0.016) were associated with adverse prognosis. In MET PET/CT analysis, TMTV p50 (HR 4.71, p = 0.056), TMTV p75 (HR 6.27, p = 0.007), TLMU p50 (HR 8.8, p = 0.04) and TLMU p75 (HR 6.3, p = 0.007) adversely affected PFS. This study confirmed the diagnostic and prognostic value of FDG in MM. In addition, it highlights that MET has higher sensitivity than FDG PET/CT for detection of myeloma lesions, including FLs. Moreover, we show, for the first time, the prognostic value of TMTV and TLMU MET PET/CT in the imaging evaluation of MM patients.

Prostate cancer (PC) is the most common tumor in men in the West and the fifth leading cause of cancer-related death. The use of PSMA radioligands has represented an important advance both in its diagnosis, through PET molecular imaging, and in its treatment in advanced stages of the disease. This article reviews the contribution of PET studies with PSMA radioligands in initial staging, in tumor detection in biochemical recurrence (elevation of PSA) after treatment with curative intent, and in the more advanced stages of the disease (castration resistant PC or CRPC). The contribution of PSMA radioligand therapy (PSMA-RLT) in CRPC patients who progress to standard therapy is also analyzed.

Objective; To determine the accuracy of visual analysis and the retention index (RI) with dual-time point (18)FFDG PET/CT for the characterization of indeterminate pulmonary nodules (IPN) with low FDG uptake. Materials and methods: A retrospective analysis was performed on 43 patients (28 men, 64 +/- 11 years old, range 36-83 years) referred for IPN characterization with F-18-FDG-PET/CT and maximum standard uptakevalue <= 2.5 at 60 minutes post-injection (SUVmax1). Nodules were analyzed by size, visual score for FDGuptake on standard (OSEM 2,8) and high definition (HD) reconstructions, SUVmax1, SUVmaxat 180 minutespostinjection (SUVmax2), and RI was calculated. The definitive diagnosis was based on histopathologicalconfirmation (n = 28) or >= 2 years of follow-up. Results: Twenty-four (56%) nodules were malignant. RI >= 10% on standard reconstruction detected 18nodules that would have been considered negative using the standard SUVmax >= 2.5 criterion for malignancy. RI >= 10% had a sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV and accuracy of 75, 73.7, 78.3, 70, and 74.4%, respectively, while for FDG uptake > liver on HD these were 79.1, 63.2, 73.1, 70.6, and 72.1%, respectively. SUVmax1 >= 2, SUVmax2 > 2.5 and FDG uptake > liver on standard reconstruction had a PPV of 100%. FDGuptake > mediastinum on HD had a NPV of 100%.

A 75-year-old man presented with dyspnea for more than 2 months, with blood test showing low platelet count and cardiac ultrasound showing severe pulmonary hypertension (>54 mm Hg). A CT pulmonary angiogram showed a filling defect in the pulmonary trunk, right and left pulmonary arteries, raising the possibilities of pulmonary embolism or artery sarcoma. FDG PET/CT was performed for further evaluation and showed low uptake in the pulmonary wall, which supported the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism. Patient was treated with anticoagulants with no changes on repeated CT pulmonary angiogram. Patient underwent surgery, and histopatological examination revealed a pulmonary artery sarcoma.

Purpose: To investigate within phantoms the minimum CT dose allowed for accurate attenuation correction of PET data and to quantify the effective dose reduction when a CT for this purpose is incorporated in the clinical setting. Methods: The NEMA image quality phantom was scanned within a large parallelepiped container. Twenty-one different CT images were acquired to correct attenuation of PET raw data. Radiation dose and image quality were evaluated. Thirty-one patients with proven multiple myeloma who underwent a dual tracer PET/CT scan were retrospectively reviewed. 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose PET/CT included a diagnostic whole-body low dose CT (WBLDCT: 120 kV-80mAs) and 11C-Methionine PET/CT included a whole-body ultra-low dose CT (WBULDCT) for attenuation correction (100 kV-40mAs). Effective dose and image quality were analysed. Results: Only the two lowest radiation dose conditions (80 kV-20mAs and 80 kV-10mAs) produced artifacts in CT images that degraded corrected PET images. For all the other conditions (CTDIvol ¿ 0.43 mGy), PET contrast recovery coefficients varied less than ± 1.2%. Patients received a median dose of 6.4 mSv from diagnostic CT and 2.1 mSv from the attenuation correction CT. Despite the worse image quality of this CT, 94.8% of bone lesions were identifiable. Conclusion: Phantom experiments showed that an ultra-low dose CT can be implemented in PET/CT procedures without any noticeable degradation in the attenuation corrected PET scan. The replacement of the standard CT for this ultra-low dose CT in clinical PET/CT scans involves a significant radiation dose reduction.

Objetive: To evaluate the enterohepatic circulation of 75-Selenium turoselecolic acid (Se-75-SeHCAT) during the first 3 hours and its correlation with the abdominal retention at the 7th day (AR(7)), as contribution to the clinical study of biliar acid malabsorption (BAM). Materials and methods: 38 patients with chronic diarrhea were retrospectively studied. Acquisition protocol included static abdominal images at 1st , 2nd an d 3rd hour and the 7th day after oral administration of the radiopharmaceutical. Images of 1 to 3 hours determined 5 patterns of enterohepatic circulation that, due to their location, were characterized as: 1) gallbladder 2-3 hours, 2) gallbladder 3 hours, 3) gallbladder-abdomen 2-3 hours, 4) abdomen, 5) upper left abdomen. The association of these patterns with the AR(7) (Fisher, STATA) were investigated. Patients were classified as Non BAM (AR(7) >15%), mild-BAM (AR(7) : 15-10%), moderate-RAM (AR(7): 10-5%) or severe-BAM (AR(7) <5%). Results: 19 patients had an AR(7) diagnostic of BAM (7 mild-BAM, 5 moderate-RAM, 7 severe-BAM). The pattern gallbladder at 2-3 hours was statistically associated with Non BAM (p 0,008), while gallbladder-abdomen at 2-3 hours was correlated with having BAM (p 0,029). Conclusion: Variations detected at the abdominal level in images during the first 3 hours were associated with changes in intestinal absorption and the incorporation of the radiopharmaceutical into the pool of bile acids, so visual interpretation of the images at 2nd and 3rd hour could be useful in the final assessment of the study.

Objetive: To evaluate the enterohepatic circulation of 75-Selenium turoselecolic acid (75Se-SeHCAT) during the first 3 hours and its correlation with the abdominal retention at the 7th day (AR7), as contribution to the clinical study of biliar acid malabsorption (BAM). Materials and methods: 38 patients with chronic diarrhea were retrospectively studied. Acquisition protocol included static abdominal images at 1st, 2nd and 3rd hour and the 7th day after oral administration of the radiopharmaceutical. Images of 1 to 3 hours determined 5 patterns of enterohepatic circulation that, due to their location, were characterized as: 1) gallbladder 2-3 hours, 2) gallbladder 3 hours, 3) gallbladder-abdomen 2-3 hours, 4) abdomen, 5) upper left abdomen. The association of these patterns with the AR7 (Fisher, STATA) were investigated. Patients were classified as Non BAM (AR7>15%), mild-BAM (AR7: 15-10%), moderate-BAM (AR7: 10-5%) or severe-BAM (AR7<5%). Results: 19 patients had an AR7 diagnostic of BAM (7 mild-BAM, 5 moderate-BAM, 7 severe-BAM). The pattern "gallbladder at 2-3 hours" was statistically associated with Non BAM (p 0,008), while "gallbladder-abdomen at 2-3 hours" was correlated with having BAM (p 0,029). Conclusion: Variations detected at the abdominal level in images during the first 3 hours were associated with changes in intestinal absorption and the incorporation of the radiopharmaceutical into the pool of bile acids, so visual interpretation of the images at 2nd and 3rd hour could be useful in the final assessment of the study.