The utility of 18F-FDG PET/CT in brain tumours diagnosis

Agata Pietrzak; Andrzej Marszałek; Tomasz Piotrowski; Katarzyna Pietrasz; Adrianna Medak; Julia Wojtowicz; Hubert Szweda; Krzysztof Matuszewski; Witold Cholewiński

doi:10.5603/RPOR.a2022.0021

The utility of ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT in brain tumours diagnosis

Rep Pract Oncol Radiother. 2022 May 19;27(2):235-240. doi: 10.5603/RPOR.a2022.0021. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Agata Pietrzak^{1

2}, Andrzej Marszałek³, Tomasz Piotrowski^{1

4}, Katarzyna Pietrasz², Adrianna Medak⁵, Julia Wojtowicz⁶, Hubert Szweda⁴, Krzysztof Matuszewski⁴, Witold Cholewiński^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Electroradiology Department, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland.
² Nuclear Medicine Department, Greater Poland Cancer Centre, Poznan, Poland.
³ Chair of Oncologic Pathology and Prophylaxis Poznan University of Medical Sciences and the Greater Poland Cancer Centre, Poznan, Poland.
⁴ Medical Physics Department, Greater Poland Cancer Centre, Poznan, Poland.
⁵ Electroradiology Department, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland (student).
⁶ Medical Faculty, Lodz Medical University, Lodz, Poland (student).

Abstract

Background: The purpose of the study was to discuss whether 2-deoxy-2-[18F]fluoro-D-glucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT) study protocol should include brain imaging.

Materials and methods: Analysis of international societies recommendations compared with the original data obtained in over 1000 consecutive torso and brain ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT studies collected in 2010.

Results: According to the international societies recommendations, the ¹⁸F-FDG should not be the radiotracer of choice considering the brain region PET/CT study. However, it can be performed as an additional brain imaging tool. Based on at least a 3-year follow-up, we detected 8 cases of suspicious brain findings and no primary lesion among over 1000 consecutive torso and brain 18F-FDG PET/CT scans performed in 2010. However, in 5 out of 8 patients, the brain lesion was the only metastasis detected, affecting further therapy.

Conclusions: The ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT study may help detect malignant brain lesions and, therefore, including brain region imaging into the study protocol should be considered.

Keywords: 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose; brain tumour; oncology.