18F-FLT and 18F-FDG PET/CT in Predicting Response to Chemoradiotherapy in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma: Preliminary Results

The purpose of this study was to explore the feasibility of 18F-Fluorothymidine (18F-FLT) and 18F-Fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) in predicting treatment response of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Patients with NPC of Stage II-IVB were prospectively enrolled, receiving 2 cycles of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT), followed by concurrent chemoradiotherapy. Each patient underwent pretreatment and post-NACT FLT PET/CT and FDG PET/CT. Standard uptake values (SUV) and tumor volume were measured. Tumor response to NACT was evaluated before radiotherapy by MRI (magnetic resonance imaging), and tumor regression at the end of radiotherapy was evaluated at 55 Gy, according to RECIST 1.1 Criteria. Finally, 20 patients were consecutively enrolled. At the end of radiotherapy, 7 patients reached complete regression while others were partial regression. After 2 cycles of NACT both FLT and FDG parameters declined remarkably. Parameters of FDG PET were more strongly correlated to tumor regression than those of FLT PET.70% SUVmax was the best threshold to define contouring margin around the target. Some residual lesions after NACT showed by MRI were negative in PET/CT. Preliminary results showed both 18F-FDG and 18F-FLT PET have the potential to monitor and predict tumor regression.