18F-FDG uptake in bone metastases

Full text: Introduction: PET-CT is an established technique in staging cancer patients and monitoring the therapeutic response. In the literature it has been pointed out the different uptake in osteosclerotic and osteolytic metastases due to different metabolic activity. Objective: The aim of this study is to share authors initial experience in 18-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (18F-FDG PET-CT) evaluation of bone metastases secondary to breast cancer with different morphological appearance and to compare the diagnostic accuracy of CT and PET alone and in combination. Patients and methods: Fifty-nine (59) patients with bone lesions secondary to breast carcinoma are included in the retrospective study. The imaging protocol included a low-dose 16-raw detector CT scan with consequent PET scanning after the administration of 5 MBq/kg 18F-FDG activity. Bone metastases were characterized morphologically as being osteolytic, osteoblastic or mixed and metabolically as active, nonactive. Standard uptake value (SUV) of the most active metastatic lesion in each patient is measured. Results: Most patients had more than one type of bone metastases. 23 patients (38.98%) had osteolytic bone metastases, 32 (54.23%) had mixed, 14 (23.72%) had osteoblastic and 8 (13.55%) patients had metabolically active bone metastases without any morphological evidence. All of the osteolytic and all of the mixed bone lesions were metabolically active (100%). Amongst the osteoblastic bone metastases metabolic activity was seen in 11 (78.57%) patients and the rest 3 (21.42%) of them had only morphological evidence of bone lesions due to good therapeutic response. SUV varies from 3.2 to 18.5 (normal uptake threshold - 2.5). The aggressiveness of bone lesions is related to high metabolic activity and the lack of the latter is usually a sign of good therapeutic response. Metabolic activity without morphological changes is a feature of early bone marrow affection and an evidence for early change of treatment volume. Conclusion: PET/CT is a valuable technique for visualization and characterization of bone dissemination even at early stages and treatment planning