ASCO: FAMT PET predicts prognosis of non-small cell lung cancer

[18F]-alpha-methyl tyrosine (18F-FAMT) PET is a potential prognostic marker in patients with pulmonary adenocarcinoma, according to a presentation made June 5 at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) annual meeting in Chicago.

18F-FAMT is transported through L-type amino acid transporter 1, expressed in various types of cancer cells and is useful to differentiate malignant tumors.

In the study, 88 patients with stage I to IV non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) underwent PET studies prior to therapy. They included 57 patients with adenocarcinoma and 31 with squamous cell carcinoma.

Noboru Oriuchi, MD, PhD, from the department of diagnostic radiology and nuclear medicine at Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine in Maebashi, Japan, and colleagues found that the maximal standardized uptake value (SUVmax) of 18F-FAMT in adenocarcinoma was significantly lower than that in squamous cell carcinoma while 18F-FDG showed no significant difference between adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma.

Overall survival was calculated by Oriuchi and colleagues and the prognostic significance was assessed. In adenocarcinoma patients, overall survival rates of patients with high SUVmax of 18F-FAMT was significantly lower than that with low SUVmax. Overall survival rates of patients with high SUVmax of 18F-FDG was also significantly lower than that with low SUV.

However, in patients with squamous cell carcinoma, they observed no significant difference in the overall survival.

Oriuchi and colleagues concluded, “18F-FAMT PET is a potential prognostic marker in patients with pulmonary adenocarcinoma.”

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