Skip to main content
Top
Published in: European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging 2/2022

Open Access 01-01-2022 | Peritoneal Cancer | Original Article

Head-to-head comparison of [68Ga]Ga-FAPI-04 and [18F]-FDG PET/CT in evaluating the extent of disease in gastric adenocarcinoma

Authors: Jonathan Kuten, Charles Levine, Ofer Shamni, Sharon Pelles, Ido Wolf, Guy Lahat, Eyal Mishani, Einat Even-Sapir

Published in: European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging | Issue 2/2022

Login to get access

Abstract

Background

[18F]-Fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography–computed tomography (PET/CT) may sometimes be suboptimal for imaging gastric adenocarcinoma. The recently introduced [68Ga]Ga-FAPI-04 (FAPI) PET/CT targets tumor stroma and has shown considerable potential in evaluating the extent of disease in a variety of tumors.

Methods

We performed a head-to-head prospective comparison of FAPI and FDG PET/CT in the same group of 13 patients with gastric adenocarcinoma who presented for either initial staging (n = 10) or restaging (n = 3) of disease. Lesion detection and maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) were compared between the two types of radiotracers.

Results

All ten primary gastric tumors were FAPI-positive (100% detection rate), whereas only five were also FDG-positive (50%). SUVmax was not significantly different, but the tumor-to-background ratio was higher for FAPI (mean, median, and range of 4.5, 3.2, and 0.8–9.7 for FDG and 12.9, 11.9, and 2.2–23.9 for FAPI, P = 0.007). The level of detection of regional lymph node involvement was comparable. FAPI showed a superior detection rate for peritoneal carcinomatosis (100% vs. none). Two patients with widespread peritoneal carcinomatosis underwent a follow-up FAPI scan after chemotherapy: one showed partial remission and the other showed progressive disease.

Conclusions

The findings of this pilot study suggest that FAPI PET/CT outperforms FDG PET/CT in detecting both primary gastric adenocarcinoma and peritoneal carcinomatosis from gastric cancer. FAPI PET/CT also shows promise for monitoring response to treatment in patients with peritoneal carcinomatosis from gastric cancer; however, larger trials are needed to validate these preliminary findings.
Appendix
Available only for authorised users
Literature
1.
go back to reference Bray F, Ferlay J, Soerjomataram I, Siegel RL, Torre LA, Jemal A. Global cancer statistics 2018: GLOBOCAN estimates of incidence and mortality worldwide for 36 cancers in 185 countries. CA Cancer J Clin. 2018;68(6):394–424.CrossRefPubMed Bray F, Ferlay J, Soerjomataram I, Siegel RL, Torre LA, Jemal A. Global cancer statistics 2018: GLOBOCAN estimates of incidence and mortality worldwide for 36 cancers in 185 countries. CA Cancer J Clin. 2018;68(6):394–424.CrossRefPubMed
2.
go back to reference Bosch KD, Chicklore S, Cook GJ, Davies AR, Kelly M, Gossage JA, et al. Staging FDG PET-CT changes management in patients with gastric adenocarcinoma who are eligible for radical treatment. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging. 2020;47(4):759–67.CrossRefPubMed Bosch KD, Chicklore S, Cook GJ, Davies AR, Kelly M, Gossage JA, et al. Staging FDG PET-CT changes management in patients with gastric adenocarcinoma who are eligible for radical treatment. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging. 2020;47(4):759–67.CrossRefPubMed
3.
go back to reference Kawamura T, Kusakabe T, Sugino T, Watanabe K, Fukuda T, Nashimoto A, et al. Expression of glucose transporter-1 in human gastric carcinoma: association with tumor aggressiveness, metastasis, and patient survival. Cancer. 2001;92(3):634–41.CrossRefPubMed Kawamura T, Kusakabe T, Sugino T, Watanabe K, Fukuda T, Nashimoto A, et al. Expression of glucose transporter-1 in human gastric carcinoma: association with tumor aggressiveness, metastasis, and patient survival. Cancer. 2001;92(3):634–41.CrossRefPubMed
5.
go back to reference Lindner T, Loktev A, Altmann A, Giesel F, Kratochwil C, Debus J, et al. Development of quinoline-based theranostic ligands for the targeting of fibroblast activation protein. J Nucl Med. 2018;59(9):1415–22.CrossRefPubMed Lindner T, Loktev A, Altmann A, Giesel F, Kratochwil C, Debus J, et al. Development of quinoline-based theranostic ligands for the targeting of fibroblast activation protein. J Nucl Med. 2018;59(9):1415–22.CrossRefPubMed
7.
go back to reference Kratochwil C, Flechsig P, Lindner T, Abderrahim L, Altmann A, Mier W, et al. 68Ga-FAPI PET/CT: tracer uptake in 28 different kinds of cancer. J Nucl Med. 2019;60(6):801–5.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral Kratochwil C, Flechsig P, Lindner T, Abderrahim L, Altmann A, Mier W, et al. 68Ga-FAPI PET/CT: tracer uptake in 28 different kinds of cancer. J Nucl Med. 2019;60(6):801–5.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
8.
go back to reference Koerber SA, Staudinger F, Kratochwil C, Adeberg S, Haefner MF, Ungerechts G, et al. The role of 68Ga-FAPI PET/CT for patients with malignancies of the lower gastrointestinal tract: first clinical experience. J Nucl Med. 2020;61(9):1331–6.CrossRefPubMed Koerber SA, Staudinger F, Kratochwil C, Adeberg S, Haefner MF, Ungerechts G, et al. The role of 68Ga-FAPI PET/CT for patients with malignancies of the lower gastrointestinal tract: first clinical experience. J Nucl Med. 2020;61(9):1331–6.CrossRefPubMed
9.
go back to reference Chen H, Pang Y, Wu J, Zhao L, Hao B, Wu J, et al. Comparison of [68Ga]Ga-DOTA-FAPI-04 and [18F] FDG PET/CT for the diagnosis of primary and metastatic lesions in patients with various types of cancer. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging. 2020;47(8):1820–32.CrossRefPubMed Chen H, Pang Y, Wu J, Zhao L, Hao B, Wu J, et al. Comparison of [68Ga]Ga-DOTA-FAPI-04 and [18F] FDG PET/CT for the diagnosis of primary and metastatic lesions in patients with various types of cancer. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging. 2020;47(8):1820–32.CrossRefPubMed
11.
go back to reference Pang Y, Zhao L, Luo Z, Hao B, Wu H, Lin Q, et al. Comparison of 68 Ga-FAPI and 18 F-FDG uptake in gastric, duodenal, and colorectal cancers. Radiology. 2021;298(2):393–402.CrossRefPubMed Pang Y, Zhao L, Luo Z, Hao B, Wu H, Lin Q, et al. Comparison of 68 Ga-FAPI and 18 F-FDG uptake in gastric, duodenal, and colorectal cancers. Radiology. 2021;298(2):393–402.CrossRefPubMed
12.
go back to reference Giesel FL, Kratochwil C, Lindner T, Marschalek MM, Loktev A, Lehnert W, et al. 68 Ga-FAPI PET/CT: biodistribution and preliminary dosimetry estimate of 2 DOTA-containing FAP-targeting agents in patients with various cancers. J Nucl Med. 2019;60(3):386–92.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral Giesel FL, Kratochwil C, Lindner T, Marschalek MM, Loktev A, Lehnert W, et al. 68 Ga-FAPI PET/CT: biodistribution and preliminary dosimetry estimate of 2 DOTA-containing FAP-targeting agents in patients with various cancers. J Nucl Med. 2019;60(3):386–92.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
13.
go back to reference Loktev A, Lindner T, Mier W, Debus J, Altmann A, Jäger D, et al. A tumor-imaging method targeting cancer-associated fibroblasts. J Nucl Med. 2018;59(9):1423–9.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral Loktev A, Lindner T, Mier W, Debus J, Altmann A, Jäger D, et al. A tumor-imaging method targeting cancer-associated fibroblasts. J Nucl Med. 2018;59(9):1423–9.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
15.
go back to reference Syed M, Flechsig P, Liermann J, Windisch P, Staudinger F, Akbaba S, et al. Fibroblast activation protein inhibitor (FAPI) PET for diagnostics and advanced targeted radiotherapy in head and neck cancers. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging. 2020;47(12):2836–45.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral Syed M, Flechsig P, Liermann J, Windisch P, Staudinger F, Akbaba S, et al. Fibroblast activation protein inhibitor (FAPI) PET for diagnostics and advanced targeted radiotherapy in head and neck cancers. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging. 2020;47(12):2836–45.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
16.
go back to reference Zhao L, Chen S, Lin L, Sun L, Wu H, Lin Q, et al. [68Ga]Ga-DOTA-FAPI-04 improves tumor staging and monitors early response to chemoradiotherapy in a patient with esophageal cancer. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging. 2020;47(13):3188–9.CrossRefPubMed Zhao L, Chen S, Lin L, Sun L, Wu H, Lin Q, et al. [68Ga]Ga-DOTA-FAPI-04 improves tumor staging and monitors early response to chemoradiotherapy in a patient with esophageal cancer. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging. 2020;47(13):3188–9.CrossRefPubMed
Metadata
Title
Head-to-head comparison of [68Ga]Ga-FAPI-04 and [18F]-FDG PET/CT in evaluating the extent of disease in gastric adenocarcinoma
Authors
Jonathan Kuten
Charles Levine
Ofer Shamni
Sharon Pelles
Ido Wolf
Guy Lahat
Eyal Mishani
Einat Even-Sapir
Publication date
01-01-2022
Publisher
Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Published in
European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging / Issue 2/2022
Print ISSN: 1619-7070
Electronic ISSN: 1619-7089
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00259-021-05494-x

Other articles of this Issue 2/2022

European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging 2/2022 Go to the issue