Use of Molecular Imaging Markers of Glycolysis, Hypoxia and Proliferation ((18)F-FDG, (64)Cu-ATSM and (18)F-FLT) in a Dog with Fibrosarcoma: The Importance of Individualized Treatment Planning and Monitoring

Kamilla Westarp Zornhagen; Malene M Clausen; Anders E Hansen; Ian Law; Fintan J McEvoy; Svend A Engelholm; Andreas Kjær; Annemarie T Kristensen

doi:10.3390/diagnostics5030372

Use of Molecular Imaging Markers of Glycolysis, Hypoxia and Proliferation ((18)F-FDG, (64)Cu-ATSM and (18)F-FLT) in a Dog with Fibrosarcoma: The Importance of Individualized Treatment Planning and Monitoring

Diagnostics (Basel). 2015 Sep 11;5(3):372-82. doi: 10.3390/diagnostics5030372.

Authors

Kamilla Westarp Zornhagen^{1

2

3}, Malene M Clausen⁴, Anders E Hansen⁵, Ian Law⁶, Fintan J McEvoy⁷, Svend A Engelholm⁸, Andreas Kjær⁹, Annemarie T Kristensen¹⁰

Affiliations

¹ Department of Veterinary Clinical and Animal Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Dyrlaegevej 16, DK-1870 Frederiksberg C, Denmark. westarp@sund.ku.dk.
² Department of Clinical Physiology, Nuclear Medicine & PET and Cluster for Molecular Imaging, Rigshospitalet and University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3B, DK-2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark. westarp@sund.ku.dk.
³ Department of Radiation Oncology, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 9, DK-2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark. westarp@sund.ku.dk.
⁴ Department of Clinical Physiology, Nuclear Medicine & PET and Cluster for Molecular Imaging, Rigshospitalet and University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3B, DK-2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark. mmc@sund.ku.dk.
⁵ Department of Micro- and Nanotechnology, Technical University of Denmark, Ørsteds Plads, Building 345E, DK-2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark. aeha@sund.ku.dk.
⁶ Department of Clinical Physiology, Nuclear Medicine & PET and Cluster for Molecular Imaging, Rigshospitalet and University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3B, DK-2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark. ilaw@pet.rh.dk.
⁷ Department of Veterinary Clinical and Animal Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Dyrlaegevej 16, DK-1870 Frederiksberg C, Denmark. fme@sund.ku.dk.
⁸ Department of Radiation Oncology, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 9, DK-2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark. svend.aage.engelholm@regionh.dk.
⁹ Department of Clinical Physiology, Nuclear Medicine & PET and Cluster for Molecular Imaging, Rigshospitalet and University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3B, DK-2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark. akjaer@sund.ku.dk.
¹⁰ Department of Veterinary Clinical and Animal Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Dyrlaegevej 16, DK-1870 Frederiksberg C, Denmark. atk@sund.ku.dk.

Abstract

Glycolysis, hypoxia, and proliferation are important factors in the tumor microenvironment contributing to treatment-resistant aggressiveness. Imaging these factors using combined functional positron emission tomography and computed tomography can potentially guide diagnosis and management of cancer patients. A dog with fibrosarcoma was imaged using (18)F-FDG, (64)Cu-ATSM, and (18)F-FLT before, during, and after 10 fractions of 4.5 Gy radiotherapy. Uptake of all tracers decreased during treatment. Fluctuations in (18)F-FDG and (18)F-FLT PET uptakes and a heterogeneous spatial distribution of the three tracers were seen. Tracer distributions partially overlapped. It appears that each tracer provides distinct information about tumor heterogeneity and treatment response.

Keywords: 18F-FDG; 18F-FLT; 64Cu-ATSM; PET/CT; canine fibrosarcoma; individualized response monitoring; positron emission tomography.