Comparison the application of 18 F-FDG and 68 Ga-DOTATATE PET/CT in neuroendocrine tumors: A retrospective study

Abstract

Abstract Objective: This study aims to compare the efficacy of 68Ga-DOTATATE PET/CT and 18F-FDG PET/CT imaging in the diagnosis, staging and prognosis evaluation of neuroendocrine tumors (NET). Methodes: We retrospectively reviewed 55 patients (43 patients were initially evaluated; 12 patients were evaluated after treatment) who underwent 18F-FDG and 68Ga DOTATE PET/CT examinations and had pathological results. Results: In the initial evaluation of 43 patients, 27 patients were pathologically confirmed as NET patients, 23 of which were correctly detected by 18F-FDG, and all 27 patients were detected by 68Ga-DOTATATE. On lession-based comparison, 119 and 168 focal lesions were depicted on 18F-FDG PET/CT and 68Ga-DOTATATE PET/CT, respectively (p =0.0363). In all patients, 68Ga-DOTATATE has higher SUVmax than 18F-FDG, and the SUVmax is negatively related to the NET grade for the former, while the latter is positively related to it. Conclusion: The value of 68Ga-DOTATATE PET/CT in the diagnosis and staging of NET is higher than that of 18F-FDG PET/CT in NETs, while the value of 18F-FDG PET/CT in NET cannot be ignored, and the combined application of two tracers has important clinical significance for the management of patients with NET.