Predicting malignancy grade with PET in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Abstract

Our goal was to determine whether PET with 11C-methionine and/or 18FDG could predict malignancy grade in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). Twenty-three patients with high-grade, low-grade or transformed low-grade NHL were investigated. Standardized uptake values (SUV), transport rate and mass influx values were calculated both for the whole tumor [mean regions of interest, (ROI)] and for the tumor area with the highest levels of activity, comprising four contiguous pixels within each tumor and designated as a hot spot. Both 11C-methionine and 18FDG detected all tumors. In addition, 18FDG discriminated between high- and low-grade NHL, whereas 11C-methionine did not. With 18FDG, three transformed low-grade NHLs behaved in an intermediate manner. All quantitative uptake values correlated well with each other for both tracers, except for the mean ROI SUV and transport rate of 11C-methionine. Quantifications of mean ROI uptake and hot spots were strongly correlated. The results of this study together with previous findings from other studies indicate that 18FDG but not 11C-methionine can predict malignancy grade in NHL. Further studies with a larger series of patients are needed.