PET/CT with ¹⁸F-BPA for various oncological diseases. The first experience of application in Russia

Purpose: To determine the possibilities of PET/CT with ¹⁸F-FBFA in the diagnostics of oncological diseases.

Material and methods: This prospective study included 32 patients with various verified oncological diseases. All patients underwent two consecutive PET/CT studies with two ¹⁸F-FDG and ¹⁸F-BPA. Two parameters were measured for ¹⁸F-BPA: 1) Accumulation in the primary tumor and/or in metastases / recurrent tumors; 2) The tumor to normal tissue ratio (TNR).

Results: Data on the physiological accumulation of ¹⁸F-BPA were obtained (the lowest values in the brain were SUV_min-max 0.45–2.99 (median 1.42), the highest values were in the oral mucosa SUV_min-max 2.24–8.81 (median 4.76). Foci of pathological accumulation of ¹⁸F-BPA corresponding to tumor tissue were identified (the highest values of accumulation of ¹⁸F-BPA were detected in multiple myeloma — SUV_max 9.59, the lowest — in nasopharyngeal plasmocytoma — SUV_max 4.42). The TNR calculation made it possible to divide patients into 2 groups: TNR ≥ 2,5 (n = 15), TNR < 2,5 (n = 6), determining the potential for BNCT.

Conclusion: ¹⁸F-BPA has potential as an independent diagnostic tool. ¹⁸F-BPA deserves attention for study as an agent that allows for differential diagnosis between tumor and non-tumor changes. The further search for the possibilities of using PET/CT with ¹⁸F-BPA on larger cohorts of patients with various oncological diseases planned.

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