Monitoring response to radiotherapy in human squamous cell cancer bearing nude mice: comparison of 2'-deoxy-2'-[18F]fluoro-D-glucose (FDG) and 3'-[18F]fluoro-3'-deoxythymidine (FLT)

• Published in: Molecular imaging and biology 2007-11, Vol.9 (6), p.340-347
• Main Authors: Molthoff, Carla F M, Klabbers, Bianca M, Berkhof, Johannes, Felten, Jasper T, van Gelder, Marcelle, Windhorst, Albert D, Slotman, Ben J, Lammertsma, Adriaan A
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell - pathology; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell - radiotherapy; Chemotherapy; Dideoxynucleosides - metabolism; Disease Models, Animal; Fluorodeoxyglucose F18 - metabolism; Head and Neck Neoplasms - pathology; Head and Neck Neoplasms - radiotherapy; Humans; Immunohistochemistry; Mice; Mice, Nude; Neoplasm Proteins - metabolism; Oncology; Radiation Monitoring - methods; Radiation therapy; Radiation Tolerance; Tumors; Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays - methods
• ISSN: 1536-1632; 1860-2002
• DOI: 10.1007/s11307-007-0104-5

The uptake of 3'-[18F]fluoro-3'-deoxythymidine (FLT), a proliferation marker, was measured before and during fractionated radiotherapy to evaluate the potential of FLT-positron emission tomography (PET) imaging as an indicator of tumor response compared to 2'-deoxy-2'-[18F]fluoro-D-glucose (FDG). Nude mice bearing established human head and neck xenografts (HNX-OE; nu/nu mice) were locally irradiated (three fractions/week; 22 Gy) using a 150-kVp unit. Multiple FDG- and FLT-PET scans were acquired during treatment. Tumor volume was determined regularly, and tissue was analyzed for biomarkers involved in tracer uptake. Both groups revealed a significant decline in tumor volume (P