Uptake of Radium-223 Dichloride and Early [ 18 F]NaF PET Response Are Driven by Baseline [ 18 F]NaF Parameters: a Pilot Study in Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer Patients

Purpose The purpose of this study is to identify predictive factors on baseline [ 18 F]NaF positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) of early response to radium-223 dichloride after 3 cycles of treatment in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer patients. Procedures Analysis of 152 metastases was performed in six consecutive patients who underwent [ 18 F]NaF PET/CT at baseline and for early monitoring after 3 cycles of radium-223 dichloride. All metastases depicted on whole-body [ 18 F]NaF PET/CT were contoured and CT (density in Hounsfield units, sclerotic, mixed, or lytic appearance) as well as [ 18 F]NaF [maximum standardized uptake value (SUV max ), SUV mean , and lesion volume (V 18F-NaF )] patterns were recorded. Tumor response was defined as percentage change in SUV max and SUV mean between baseline and post-treatment PET. Bone lesions were defined as stable, responsive, or progressive, according to thresholds derived from a recent multicentre test-retest study in [ 18 F]NaF PET/CT. Total [ 18 F]NaF uptake in metastases, defined as MATV × SUV mean , was correlated to uptake of radium-223 on biodistribution scintigraphy performed 7 days after the first cycle of treatment. Results Among metastases, 116 involved the axial skeleton and 36 the appendicular skeleton. Lesions were sclerotic in 126 cases and mixed in 26 cases. No lytic lesion was depicted. ROC analysis showed that SUV max and SUV mean were better predictors of lesion response than V 18F-NaF and density on CT ( P < 0.0001 and P = 0.001, respectively). SUV max and SUV mean were predictors of individual tumor response in separate multivariate models ( P = 0.01 and P = 0.02, respectively). CT pattern (mixed versus sclerotic) and lesion density were independent predictors only when assessing response with delta SUV max ( P = 0.002 and 0.007, respectively). A good correlation between total [ 18 F]NaF uptake within metastases and their relative radium-223 uptake assessed by two observers 7 days after treatment ( r = 0.72 and 0.77, P < 0.0001) was found. Conclusions SUV max and SUV mean on baseline [ 18 F]NaF PET/CT are independent predictors of bone lesions’ response to 3 cycles of radium-223 dichloride, supporting the use of NaF to select patients more likely to respond to treatment.