Predictive value of 18 F-FDG PET in patients with advanced medullary thyroid carcinoma treated with vandetanib

Rudolf A. Werner, Jan Stefan Schmid, Takahiro Higuchi, Mehrbod S. Javadi, Steven P. Rowe, Bruno Märkl, Christoph Aulmann, Martin Fassnacht, Matthias Kroiss, Christoph Reiners, Andreas K. Buck, Michael C. Kreissl, Constantin Lapa

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

21 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Therapeutic options in advanced medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) have markedly improved since the introduction of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). We aimed to assess the role of metabolic imaging using 18 F-FDG PET/CT shortly before and 3 mo after initiation of TKI treatment. Methods: Eighteen patients with advanced and progressive MTC scheduled for vandetanib treatment underwent baseline 18 F-FDG PET/CT before and 3 mo after TKI treatment initiation. During follow-up, CT scans were obtained every 3 mo and analyzed according to RECIST. The predictive value for estimating progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) was examined by investigating the 18 F-FDG SUV mean/max of the metabolically most active lesion, as well as by analyzing clinical parameters (tumor marker doubling times [calcitonin, carcinoembryonic antigen], prior therapies, rearranged-during-transfection mutational status, and disease type). Results: Within a median follow-up of 5.2 y, 9 patients experienced disease progression after a median interval of 2.1 y, whereas the remainder had ongoing disease control (5 with a partial response and 4 with stable disease). Eight of the 9 patients with progressive disease died from MTC after a median of 3.5 y after TKI initiation. A pretherapeutic SUV mean of more than 4.0 predicted a significantly shorter PFS (1.9 y vs. 5.2 y, P = 0.04). Furthermore, sustained high 18 F-FDG uptake at 3 mo with a SUV mean of more than 2.8 tended to portend an unfavorable prognosis, with a PFS of 1.9 y (vs. 3.5 y, P = 0.3). Prolonged carcinoembryonic antigen doubling times were significantly correlated with longer PFS (r = 0.7) and OS (r = 0.76, P, 0.01). None of the other clinical parameters had prognostic significance. Conclusion: Pretherapeutic 18 F-FDG PET/CT provides prognostic information in patients with advanced MTC scheduled for treatment with the TKI vandetanib. A low tumor metabolism with an SUV mean of less than 4.0 before treatment predicts a longer PFS.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)756-761
Number of pages6
JournalJournal of Nuclear Medicine
Volume59
Issue number5
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - May 1 2018
Externally publishedYes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Radiology Nuclear Medicine and imaging

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Predictive value of 18 F-FDG PET in patients with advanced medullary thyroid carcinoma treated with vandetanib'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this