Table 1.
Characteristics of PET tracers for sarcoma imaging
| Tracer | Analogue | Half-life | Clinical role |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11C-thymidine | Nucleic acid (thymidine) | 20.4 minutes | Superior tumor-to-inflammation ratio |
| 18F-FLT | Nucleic acid (thymidine) | 110 minutes | Estimation of tumor proliferation, grade, mitotic index, and response to therapy |
| 11C-methionine | Amino acid (methionine) | 20.4 minutes | Superior tumor-to-inflammation ratio, estimation of response to therapy |
| 18F-FPMET | Amino acid (methionine) | 110 minutes | Superior tumor-to-inflammation ratio |
| 18F-FPro | Amino acid (proline) | 110 minutes | Accumulates in osteosarcoma in an animal model |
| 11C-tyrosine | Amino acid (tyrosine) | 20.4 minutes | Superior tumor-to-inflammation ratio, estimation of tumor PSR, grade, and mitotic index |
| 18F-FPT | Amino acid (tyrosine) | 110 minutes | Low tracer uptake in inflammation |
| 18F-FMISO | Hypoxia (nitroimidazole) | 110 minutes | Limited data evaluating correlation between avidity and tissue pO2 |
| 18F-EF5 | Hypoxia (nitroimidazole) | 110 minutes | Detection of tumor hypoxia |
| 18F-FAZA | Hypoxia (nitroimidazole) | 110 minutes | Detection of tumor hypoxia, estimation of radiotherapy response |