425P - Clinical Impact of [11C]-Methionine Positron Emission Tomography on the Treatment of Primary and Recurrent Gliomas

Abstract

ABSTRACT Purpose To assess whether 11C-methionine positron emission tomography (11C-MET PET) has a clinical significance in the management of glioma patients. Patients and methods Fifty-three patients with histologically proven primary gliomas (16 grade II, 15 grade III, and 22 grade IV) were investigated repeatedly with 11C-MET PET. A total of 249 PET scans were performed, with a median of 4 scans for each patient. Functional imaging with PET was compared with concurrent MRI or CT. Results We registered high sensibility and specificity in the management of glioma patients. The mean 11C-MET uptake index results significantly correlated with histological grade. The overall survival (OS) of GBM patients who underwent 11C-MET PET serial controls and parallel CT or MRI scans resulted to be 29.24 months, significantly higher compared to OS of GBM who underwent CT or MRI alone during follow up. Conclusion 11C-MET PET allowed the detection of malignant progression in low grade glioma patients and the assessment of post-surgery status in both low and anaplastic gliomas with high sensibility and specificity. Thus, 11C-MET PET expresses its maximum potential in earlier disclosing recurrence during the long-term follow-up of GBM patients, with a relevant impact on therapeutic course and survival of these patients. Disclosure All authors have declared no conflicts of interest.