Table 1.
Summary of studies comparing 18F-DOPA and other imaging modalities or tracers
| AUTHOR, YEAR | RADIOTRACER/IMAGING MODALITY | NOTES |
|---|---|---|
| Chen, 2006 [1]. | 18F-DOPA vs. 18F-FDG | Sensitivity for identifying tumors substantially higher with 18F-FDOPA PET than with 18F-FDG PET as determined by simple visual inspection, especially for the assessment of low-grade tumors. The high diagnostic accuracy of 18F-FDOPA PET was confirmed with the additional 51 patients. No significant difference in tumor uptake on 18F-FDOPA scans was seen between low-grade and high-grade tumors or between contrast-enhancing and non-enhancing tumors. Radiation necrosis was generally distinguishable from tumors on 18F-FDOPA scans. |
| (81+51 patients with brain tumors) | ||
| Piccardo, 2019 [13]. | Advanced MRI vs. 18F-DOPA | DWI, ASL, 1H-MRS and 18F-DOPA PET demonstrated significant differences between wild-type and mutant DMG prevailingly depending on the histological features of the lesions, since the results were probably influenced by the fact that low-grade diffuse astrocytomas were present only among wild-type lesions. However, a comparison including only histologically defined high-grade DMG showed significant differences in the 18F-DOPA PET T/S ratio between H3K27M mutant and wild-type lesions, highlighting the potential role of this parameter to non-invasively determine the H3K27M mutation status independently of histology. |
| (22 patients with DMG, retrospective) | ||
| Morana, 2013 [15]. | Multimodal MRI and 18F-DOPA | 18F-DOPA PET imaging demonstrated high uptake of the residual non-enhancing lesion as well as of the nonspecific non-enhancing FLAIR hyperintensity along the anterior margin of the surgical cavity, suggesting lack of treatment response and progressive disease, as confirmed by subsequent follow-up MRI. Furthermore, 18F-DOPA PET revealed an additional focal area of increased uptake without corresponding MRI abnormalities but with subsequent onset of macroscopic disease, thus seeming to anticipate disease localization. |
| (Case report, patient with malignant transformation of ganglioglioma) | ||
| Piccardo, 2020 [23]. | 18F-DOPA vs. 123I-mIBG | 18F-DOPA PET/CT was significantly more sensitive than 123I-MIBG WBS in staging neuroblastoma patients and evaluating disease persistence after chemotherapy. |
| (18 patients with Neuroblastoma, prospective) | ||
| Liu, 2017 [39]. | 18F-FDG vs. 18F-DOPA | The avidity of primary tumors toward both tracers is correlated with various clinical and histopathologic features and may have independent prognostic values for risk stratification. Lower 18F-DOPA uptake is associated with poor prognosis and distant metastases. Higher 18F-FDG uptake is associated with invasive features of tumors, MYCN amplification, and poor prognosis. |
| (25 patients with Neuroblastoma) | ||
| Christiansen, 2018 [40]. | 18F-DOPA vs. 68Ga-DOTANOC | 18F-DOPA PET/CT was excellent in predicting focal CHI and superior compared to 68Ga-DOTANOC PET/CT. Further use of 68GA-DOTANOC PET/CT in predicting focal CHI is discouraged. |
| (55 patients with hyperinsulinism, retrospective) | ||
| Morana, 2017 [55]. | MRI vs. 18F-DOPA | DWI, ASL and 18F-DOPA PET imaging provide useful complementary information for pediatric diffuse astrocytic tumor grading. 18F-DOPA uptake better correlates with outcome and is an independent predictor of PFS. The combination of DWI, ASL, and 18F-DOPA PET data enhances overall performance in predicting tumor progression, thus suggesting a synergistic role of these modalities and underscoring the added value of multimodal multiparametric PET/MR imaging in pediatric brain tumors. |
| (26 patients with DAT, retrospective) |