Study Examines Prognostic Value of 68Ga-PSMA-11 PET/CT for Patients at High Risk of PCa
Initial detection of metastatic prostate cancer via 68Ga-PSMA-11 PET/CT was significantly associated with PSA values > 20 ng/ml, ISUP grade > 3 and MRI T-stage > 3, according to research presented recently at the SNMMI conference.
In a study of over 500 treatment-naïve men with at least one of three major risk factors for prostate cancer, 43 percent of those with all three risk factors (PSA values > 20 ng/ml, ISUP grade > 3 and MRI T-stage > 3) had evidence of metastatic prostate cancer (PCa) on 68Ga-PSMA-11 PET/CT imaging.
For the retrospective study, presented at the 2024 Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) Annual Meeting, researchers examined correlations between clinical factors, imaging parameters and metastatic PCa in 525 men who had 68Ga-PSMA-11 PET/CT imaging,
In a univariable analysis, the researchers found that 11.8 percent of those having at least one of the aforementioned risk factors for PCa had metastatic PCa on 68Ga-PSMA-11 PET/CT imaging. The percentage of patients with metastatic PCa more than doubled (25.6 percent) with two risk factors and climbed to 43.5 percent with all three risk factors, according to the study authors. The researchers noted the correlations between elevated PSA level and MRI T-stage >3 with metastatic PCa on PET/CT imaging were also evident in the multivariable analysis.
While MRI imaging showed no focal suspicious areas (B and E) nor focal areas of diffusion restriction (C and F) in a 63-year-old man with a PSA level of 32 ng/ml, PET/CT revealed nodal metastases (A and D) as well as a suspicious left iliac node (G). (Images courtesy of SNMMI.)
“Within this large tertiary cohort, the PSA at diagnosis and MRI T-stage > 3 were significant independent predictors of the presence of metastases in subjects presenting with a new diagnosis of prostate cancer,” noted study co-authors Amy Sharkey, M.D., a clinical research fellow at the Biomedical Research Center at King’s College London, and Gary J.R. Cook, MBBS, MSc, M.D., who is affiliated with the Department of Cancer Imaging at the School of Engineering and Imaging Sciences at King’s College London in the United Kingdom.
While the SUVmax for primary lesions on 68Ga-PSMA-11 PET/CT imaging was associated with the three aforementioned risk factors as well as a cribriform pattern and perineural invasion, the study authors found no statistical difference between patients with biochemical recurrence (BCR) and those without BCR, regardless of treatment with radical prostatectomy (RP) or curative intent radiotherapy (RT).
“(The SUVmax) was not predictive of BCR in subjects undergoing RP or RT treatment during a median follow-up of 509.5 days,” added Drs. Sharkey and Cook.
Reference
1. Sharkey A, Cook GJR. 68Ga-PSMA-11 PET/CT for baseline staging of high-risk prostate cancer: associations between clinical risk factors, metastases and imaging parameters. Presented at the 2024 Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging Annual Meeting, June 8-11, Toronto, Canada. Available at: https://www.xcdsystem.com/snmmi/program/10OD8Tq/index.cfm . Accessed June 20, 2024.
Recent Videos
Related Content
Mammography Study Compares False Positives Between AI and Radiologists in DBT Screening
May 8th 2025Article
For DBT breast cancer screening, 47 percent of radiologist-only flagged false positives involved mass presentations whereas 40 percent of AI-only flagged false positive cases involved benign calcifications, according to research presented at the recent American Roentgen Ray Society (ARRS) conference.
MRI Study at ARRS Raises Questions About Disparities in Detection of MASLD
May 3rd 2025Article
New research revealed that Hispanic Americans with evidence of hepatic steatosis on MRI but no formal diagnosis of MASLD had over a fourfold higher risk of developing hepatocellular carcinoma in comparison to those who had a formal diagnosis of MASLD.
FDA Clears MRI-Based AI Segmentation of Organs at Risk During Radiation Therapy
May 2nd 2025Article
Capable of segmenting over 37 organs and structures in the head, neck and pelvis, the MR Contour DL software is currently being showcased at the European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology (ESTRO) conference.
Study Examines CT-Based AI Detection of Incidental Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms
April 29th 2025Article
The AI software Viz AAA offered a sensitivity of 87.5 percent in detecting abdominal aortic aneurysms on contrast-enhanced CT, according to new retrospective research presented at the American Roentgen Ray Society (ARRS) conference.
