Copper, PET/CT and prostate cancer: a systematic review of the literature

Q J Nucl Med Mol Imaging. 2020 Dec;64(4):382-392. doi: 10.23736/S1824-4785.20.03277-X. Epub 2020 Sep 9.

Abstract

Copper is an essential element that plays an important role in both cancer development and growth. Indeed, high levels of copper have been found in prostate cancer (PCa), and this finding have paved the way for the use of this element as a target for positron emission tomography (PET) imaging. Copper64 (64Cu) can be used alone, as 64CuCl<inf>2</inf>, and also as a precursor for the in-vitro radio-labelling of specific carriers for PET imaging in PCa, (e.g. associated to prostate-specific membrane antigen: PSMA). The use of 64Cu-PSMA can yield late acquisitions in which PET images are characterized by a higher target-to-background ratio. At the same time, the shorter positron range of 64Cu provides high spatial resolution, which leads to better detection of small lesions. In this context, the aim of this review was to systematically review studies evaluating the identification of PCa in humans by means of 64CuCl<inf>2</inf> and other PET tracers radio-labelled with 64Cu.

Publication types

  • Review
  • Systematic Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antigens, Surface / metabolism*
  • Antigens, Surface / therapeutic use
  • Biomarkers, Tumor / metabolism
  • Copper Radioisotopes / chemistry*
  • Copper Radioisotopes / pharmacology
  • Fluorine Radioisotopes / chemistry
  • Glutamate Carboxypeptidase II / metabolism*
  • Glutamate Carboxypeptidase II / therapeutic use
  • Humans
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Male
  • Positron Emission Tomography Computed Tomography / methods*
  • Prostatic Neoplasms / radiotherapy*
  • Radiopharmaceuticals / chemistry*
  • Radiopharmaceuticals / pharmacology
  • Structure-Activity Relationship
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Substances

  • Antigens, Surface
  • Biomarkers, Tumor
  • Copper Radioisotopes
  • Copper-64
  • Fluorine Radioisotopes
  • Radiopharmaceuticals
  • FOLH1 protein, human
  • Glutamate Carboxypeptidase II
  • Fluorine-18