Neuroendocrine Differentiation of Prostate Cancer Is Not Systematically Associated with Increased 18F-FDG Uptake

Matteo Bauckneht; Silvia Morbelli; Alberto Miceli; Sara Elena Rebuzzi; Giuseppe Fornarini

doi:10.3390/diagnostics11030468

Neuroendocrine Differentiation of Prostate Cancer Is Not Systematically Associated with Increased 18F-FDG Uptake

Diagnostics (Basel). 2021 Mar 8;11(3):468. doi: 10.3390/diagnostics11030468.

Authors

Matteo Bauckneht^{1

2}, Silvia Morbelli^{1

2}, Alberto Miceli², Sara Elena Rebuzzi^{3

4}, Giuseppe Fornarini³

Affiliations

¹ Nuclear Medicine, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, 16132 Genova, Italy.
² Department of Health Sciences (DISSAL), University of Genova, 16132 Genova, Italy.
³ Medical Oncology Unit 1, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, 16132 Genova, Italy.
⁴ Department of Internal Medicine and Medical Specialities (Di.M.I.), University of Genova, 16132 Genova, Italy.

Abstract

Neuroendocrine differentiation (NED) of prostate cancer represents an acknowledged predictor of resistant and more aggressive disease. NED can be functionally exploited in vivo using PET/CT imaging with somatostatin analogs radiolabeled with 68Ga. Many previous reports have shown that 18F-FDG PET/CT should also be used in cases such as guiding management, as NED is systematically associated with increased glycolysis. We hereby discuss the case of a metastatic prostate cancer patient in which 68Ga-Dotatoc PET/CT revealed the occurrence of NED with low FDG-avidity.

Keywords: 18F-Fluorodeoxyglucose; 68Ga-Dotatoc; metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer; neuroendocrine differentiation; positron emission tomography.