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Positron emission tomography 11 C‐methionine and survival in patients with low‐grade gliomas
Author(s) -
Ribom Dan,
Eriksson Anders,
Hartman Magdalena,
Engler Henry,
Nilsson Anna,
Långström Bengt,
Bolander Hans,
Bergström Mats,
Smits Anja
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.052
H-Index - 304
eISSN - 1097-0142
pISSN - 0008-543X
DOI - 10.1002/1097-0142(20010915)92:6<1541::aid-cncr1480>3.0.co;2-d
Subject(s) - medicine , positron emission tomography , nuclear medicine , methionine , positron , glioma , oncology , cancer research , genetics , nuclear physics , amino acid , biology , electron , physics
BACKGROUND Considerable numbers of patients with low‐grade gliomas experience an early malignant course and may benefit from aggressive treatment. These patients are difficult to identify using established prognostic factors. A retrospective study was performed to determine whether the 11 C‐methionine uptake in tumor is a survival factor in adult patients with supratentorial gliomas classified as World Health Organization Grade 2. METHODS The authors identified 89 patients with histologically confirmed low‐grade gliomas in whom an 11 C‐methionine positron emission tomography (PET) scan had been performed as part of the diagnostic tumor investigation from 1983 to 1998. Clinical data were collected, and the PET scans were re‐evaluated according to a fixed protocol. The 11 C‐methionine uptake in the tumor and relevant clinical parameters were entered into univariate and multivariate survival analyses. RESULTS At the end of the study, 49 patients (55.1%) had died. The median overall survival was 5.7 years. Low methionine uptake was significantly favorable in the multivariate survival analysis ( P = 0.04) along with oligodendroglioma ( P = 0.003). In the histologic subgroups, 11 C‐methionine uptake was an important survival factor among patients with astrocytomas ( P = 0.05) and oligodendrogliomas ( P = 0.03). Tumor resection was a favorable prognostic factor in patients with high methionine uptake ( P = 0.01) but not in patients with low uptake. CONCLUSIONS Baseline 11 C‐methionine PET is a prognostic indicator in patients with low‐grade gliomas. The results imply that PET is a valuable tool in the clinical management of these patients and may assist in the selection of patients for therapy. Cancer 2001;92:1541–9. © 2001 American Cancer Society.