P09.11 Role of PET [18F]-FDOPA in the evaluation of low grade gliomas

Abstract

Background:

FDOPA is brought into tumor cells via amino acid transporters and recent studies have established the diagnostic value of PET [18F]-FDOPA in heterogeneous population affected by LGG and high-grade gliomas. The aim of the present longitudinal study was to evaluate the prognostic value of 3,4-dihydroxy-6-[18F]fluoro-L-phenylalanine ([18F]-FDOPA) positron-emission tomography (PET) in predicting the risk of radiological progression of disease in patients affected by low-grade glioma.

Patients and Methods:

Patients affected by grade II glioma were consecutively enrolled in a prospective observational study at the Department of Neurology of Regina Elena National Cancer Institute in Rome, Italy. At enrolment, all patients underwent PET [18F]-FDOPA and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), and clinical and radiological assessments with MRI every six months to evaluate the progression of disease. Results: A total of 73 patients affected by grade II glioma (42 males and 31 females) were included in the study. The majority of patients were affected by oligodendroglioma. In 34 patients PET study was performed during chemotherapy treatment; in 38 patients was performed during follow up. The multivariate analysis showed that standardized uptake value greater than 1.75 and disease duration were independent predictors of disease progression. Conclusion: these findings confirm the important role of PET [18F]-FDOPA as a prognostic markers in evaluation of low-grade glioma.