NIMG-02. ¹⁸F-FLUCICLOVINE PET/CT TO DISTINGUISH RADIATION NECROSIS FROM TUMOR PROGRESSION IN BRAIN METASTASES TREATED WITH STEREOTACTIC RADIOSURGERY

Abstract

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

To report descriptive updates of an ongoing pilot trial assessing whether ¹⁸F-Fluciclovine PET/CT, a widely available amino-acid radiotracer, is useful to distinguish radiation necrosis (RN) from tumor progression (TP) among patients with brain metastases.

MATERIALS/METHODS

The primary objective is to estimate the accuracy of ¹⁸F-Fluciclovine PET/CT in distinguishing RN from TP. We included adults with brain metastases who underwent prior stereotactic radiosurgery and presented with a follow-up MRI brain (with DSC-MR perfusion) which was equivocal for RN versus TP. Within 30 days of equivocal MRI, patients underwent ¹⁸F-Fluciclovine PET/CT on a Siemens Biograph mCT scanner with a 10 mCi bolus dose immediately prior to PET. PET data were collected in list-mode for 25 mins post-injection and were reconstructed as a static image of data 10-25 mins post-injection, and as a dynamic series of four 5-min frames between 5-25 mins post-injection. Quantitative metrics for each lesion were documented. Lesion to normal brain ratios were calculated. The reference standard was clinical follow-up with MRI brain (with DSC-MR perfusion) every 2-4 months until multidisciplinary consensus (or tissue confirmation) for diagnosis of RN versus TP.

RESULTS

From 7/2019-6/2020, 12 of 16 planned subjects with 17 lesions underwent ¹⁸F-Fluciclovine PET/CT. Primary histology was non-small cell lung cancer in 5 patients, breast in 4, melanoma in 2, and endometrial in 1. Among all 17 lesions, ranges of quantitative metrics were: SUVmax, 2.18-12.10; SUVmean, 1.16-7.37; SUVpeak, 1.06-4.45; normal brain SUVmean, 0.19-0.44; SUVmax/normal ratio, 7.50-45.40; SUVmean/normal ratio, 4.20-26.30; and SUVpeak/normal ratio, 3.90-26.40. Follow-up was completed for 5 patients (6 lesions). No adverse events have occurred.

CONCLUSION

In this population, ¹⁸F-Fluciclovine produces a wide range of lesion quantitative metric values and uniformly low uptake in normal brain, which may allow accurate discrimination. Ongoing additional accrual and follow up is required.