Whole-body tumour burden on [18F]DCFPyL PET/CT in biochemical recurrence of prostate cancer: association with tumour biology and PSA kinetics

PURPOSE

The objective was to assess the association between molecular imaging (mi) variables on [18F]DCFPyL-PET/CT with clinical and disease characteristics and prostate specific antigen (PSA) related variables in patients with biochemical recurrence of prostate cancer (BRPC).

MATERIAL AND METHODS

We analysed patients with BRPC after radical treatment. We obtained clinical and PSA variables: International Society of Urology Pathology (ISUP) grade group, European Association of Urology (EAU) risk classification, PSA (PSA≤1ng/ml, 12), PSA doubling time (PSAdt) and PSA velocity (PSAvel). All PET/CT scans were reviewed with the assistance of automated Prostate Molecular Imaging Standardized Evaluation (aPROMISE) software and lesions' segmentation in positive scans was performed using this platform. Standardized uptake value (SUV) derived variables; tumour burden variables [whole-body tumour volume (wbTV), whole-body tumour lesion activity (wbTLA) and whole-body mi PSMA (wbPSMA)] and miTNM staging were obtained. Cut-off of PSA and kinetics able to predict PET/CT results were obtained. Associations between disease and mi variables were analysed using ANOVA, Kruskal-Wallis and Spearman's correlation tests. Multivariate analysis was also performed.

RESULTS

Two hundred and seventy-five patients were studied. [18F]DCFPyL-PET/CT were positive in 165/275 patients. In multivariate analysis, moment of biochemical recurrence, ISUP group, PSA level and PSAvel showed significant association with the detection rate. miTNM showed significant association with PSA level (p<0.001) and kinetics (p<0.001), being higher in patients with metastatic disease. Both PSA and PSAvel showed moderate correlation with wbTV, wbTLA and wbPSMA (p<0.001). A weak correlation with SUVs was found. Mean wbTV, wbTLA and wbPSMA values were significantly higher in PSA > 2ng/ml, PSAdt ≤ 6 months and PSAvel ≥ 0.2ng/ml/month groups. Also, wbTV (p=0.039) and wbPSMA (p=0.020) were significantly higher in patients with ISUP grade group 5. PSA and PSAvel cut-offs (1.15 ng/ml and 0.065 ng/ml/month) were significantly associated with a positive PET/CT.

CONCLUSION

Higher PSA values, unfavourable PSA kinetics and ISUP grade group 5 were robust predictive variables of larger tumour burden variables on [18F]DCFPyL PET/CT assessed by aPROMISE platform.