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Imaging metastatic testicular germ cell tumours with18FDG positron emission tomography: prospects for detection and management

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Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the role of positron emission tomography (PET) with [18F]fluoro-2-deoxyglucose (18FDG) in metastatic testicular germ cell tumours. Twenty-one patients with stage II–IV testicular germ cell tumours were imaged by PET with a multiwire proportional chamber PET system and18FDG. Avid18FDG uptake was seen in metastatic disease from primary seminoma and malignant teratoma. Normal tissue uptake was seen in differentiated teratoma or necrotic, fibrotic tissue.18FDG standard uptake values and tumour to normal tissue ratios were 6.0±1.4 and 1.7±0.4 (mean ± 1SD), respectively, for malignant tissue. Reduction of18FDG tumour to normal tissue ratios from pre-treatment to on-treatment scans was predictive of response (n=3). No significant reduction in18FDG uptake was seen in patients not responding to therapy (n=2). These results suggest a role for18FDG PET in the detection and management of metastatic testicular germ cell tumours.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiotherapy, Royal Marsden Hospital, Sutton, Surrey, UK

    Charles B. Wilson & Alan Horwich

  2. Joint Department of Physics, Institute of Cancer Research and Royal Marsden Hospital, Sutton, Surrey, UK

    Helen E. Young, Robert J. Ott, Maggie A. Flower & Brenda E. Pratt

  3. Department of Nuclear Medicine, Royal Marsden Hospital, Sutton, Surrey, UK

    Bernadette F. Cronin & V. Ralph McCready

Authors
  1. Charles B. Wilson
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  2. Helen E. Young
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  3. Robert J. Ott
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  4. Maggie A. Flower
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  5. Bernadette F. Cronin
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  6. Brenda E. Pratt
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  7. V. Ralph McCready
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  8. Alan Horwich
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Wilson, C.B., Young, H.E., Ott, R.J. et al. Imaging metastatic testicular germ cell tumours with18FDG positron emission tomography: prospects for detection and management. Eur J Nucl Med 22, 508–513 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00817273

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00817273

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