18F-PSMA-1007 PET/CT for Initial Staging of Renal Cell Carcinoma in an End-Stage Renal Disease Patient

Utility of PSMA PET/CT in Staging and Restaging of Renal Cell Carcinoma: A Systematic Review and Metaanalysis

Prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) is expressed in the neovasculature of multiple solid tumors, including renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Studies have demonstrated promising results on the utility of PSMA-targeted PET/CT imaging in RCC. This report aims to provide a systematic review and metaanalysis on the utility and detection rate of PSMA PET/CT imaging in staging or evaluation of primary RCC and restaging of metastatic or recurrent RCC. Methods: Searches were performed in PubMed, Embase, and abstract proceedings (last updated, August 2023). Studies that provided a lesion-level detection rate of PSMA radiotracers in staging or restaging of RCC were included in the metaanalysis. The overall pooled detection rate with a 95% CI was estimated, and subgroup analysis was performed when feasible. Results: Nine studies comprising 152 patients (133 clear cell RCC [ccRCC], 19 other RCC subtypes) were included in the metaanalysis. The pooled detection rate of PSMA PET/CT in evaluation of primary or metastatic RCC was estimated to be 0.83 (95% CI, 0.67-0.92). Subgroup analysis showed a pooled PSMA detection rate of 0.74 (95% CI, 0.57-0.86) in staging or evaluation of primary RCC lesions and 0.87 (95% CI, 0.73-0.95) in restaging of metastatic or recurrent RCC. Analysis based on the type of radiotracer showed a pooled detection rate of 0.85 (95% CI, 0.62-0.95) for 68Ga-based PSMA tracers and 0.92 (95% CI, 0.76-0.97) for 18F-DCFPyL PET/CT. Furthermore, in metastatic ccRCC, the available data support a significantly higher detection rate for 18F-DCFPyL PET/CT than for conventional imaging modalities (2 studies). Conclusion: Our preliminary results show that PSMA PET/CT could be a promising alternative imaging modality for evaluating RCC, particularly metastatic ccRCC. Large prospective studies are warranted to confirm clinical utility in the staging and restaging of RCC.

Diffuse Intense 18 F-PSMA-1007 Uptake of the Breasts in a Woman With TFE3-Rearranged Renal Cell Carcinoma

ABSTRACT

A 23-year-old woman presenting with gross hematuria was found to have a left renal mass suspicious for renal cell carcinoma on abdominal contrast-enhanced CT. An 18 F-PSMA-1007 PET/CT scan was performed for evaluating the renal mass. 18 F-PSMA-1007 PET/CT showed focal activity of the renal mass, which was a transcription factor E3-rearranged renal cell carcinoma proved after nephrectomy. Surprisingly, diffuse heterogeneous intense activity of the bilateral breasts and moderate activity of the right accessory breast was observed. There was no morphological abnormality of the bilateral breasts and right accessory breast on CT images, indicating physiological PSMA uptake.

A tumor-like renal arteriovenous malformation on 18F-PSMA-1007 PET/CT: a case report

Background

Renal arteriovenous malformations (rAVMs) are congenital abnormal pathways between renal arteries and veins that are rare in the general population. It is often misdiagnosed as malignant renal tumors with abundant blood supply, and the definitive diagnosis primarily relies on angiography. Multimodality imaging, including contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and positron emission tomography (PET)/CT plays an important role in the differential diagnosis of renal space-occupying lesions.

Case presentation

A 56-year-old man presented with abdominal distension, loss of appetite, and back pain without obvious cause 2 years ago, without nausea vomiting, or frequent urination. Gastroscopy and colonoscopy showed multiple polyps in the duodenum and colon. Abdomen contrast-enhanced CT revealed a mass of 1.6 × 1.4 cm in the left kidney, which was considered to be a malignant tumor. PET/CT was performed for further diagnosis; the 18F-fluorodesoxyglucose (18F-FDG) PET/CT scan showed mild uptake in the left renal mass, while no uptake of 18F- prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) was observed. Following a multidisciplinary discussion, the possibility of renal AVMs was considered and subsequently confirmed by renal angiography as the diagnosis. Then, selective segmental renal artery embolization was performed for treatment.

Conclusion

Renal AVMs are extremely rare in clinical practice. Due to limited research on the application of 18F-FDG and 18F-PSMA PET/CT to renal AVMs, its role remains largely unexplored. With the increasing popularity of PET/CT imaging, comprehensive imaging of the disease has become indispensable. We report the first case of PSMA PET/CT imaging in renal AVMs, and when PSMA expression is absent in a renal mass, the possibility of renal AVMs should be considered.

18 F-PSMA-1007 PET/CT in a Case of Von Hippel-Lindau Syndrome

ABSTRACT

We describe 18 F-PSMA-1007 PET/CT findings in case of von Hippel-Lindau syndrome with a cerebellar hemangioblastoma, 6 renal cell carcinomas in the bilateral kidneys, cystic lesions in the pancreas and left adrenal gland, and solid lesions in the bilateral epididymides. 18 F-PSMA-1007 PET/CT showed intense activity with SUV max of 111.3 of the cerebellar hemangioblastoma, variable activity with SUV max range of 6.4-37.6 of the renal cell carcinomas, and increased activity of the bilateral epididymal lesions (SUV max of 5.1 and 8.2 for the left and right epididymal lesions, respectively).

18 F-Choline Versus 68 Ga-PSMA-11 PET/CT Imaging Comparison in Incidental Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma

ABSTRACT

Few articles in literature describe the potential usefulness of 18 F-choline PET/CT and particularly 68 Ga-PSMA-11 PET/CT in imaging of clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). We report a unique comparison in literature between the 2 radiotracers in a patient who underwent left nephrectomy with diagnosis of ccRCC, grade 3. 68 Ga-PSMA-11 PET/CT confirmed its emerging role in imaging ccRCC, as the incidentally detected renal neoplasm showed a significant higher uptake in comparison to 18 F-choline PET/CT, inducing surgical indication.

Adjuvant Therapy for High-Risk Localized Renal Cell Carcinoma: Current Landscape and Future Direction

Locally and regionally advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC) can recur at high rates even after visually complete resection of primary disease. Both targeted therapies and immunotherapies represent potential agents that might help reduce recurrence of RCC in these patients. This paper reviews the current body of evidence defining their potential impact and examines the large Phase III randomized clinical trials that have been performed to assess the safety and efficacy of these systemic therapies in the adjuvant setting. Given that the findings from these trials have been predominantly negative, this paper also explores the role of other potential adjuvant agents, including single and combination agent targeted therapies and immunotherapies, whose use is currently limited to metastatic RCC. Finally, the use of radiation therapy and the use of advanced imaging modalities in RCC are also considered.

Molecular Imaging of Renal Cell Carcinoma in Precision Medicine

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is the sixth most common cancer among men and the ninth among women, and its prognosis is closely correlated with metastasis. Targeted therapy and immunotherapy are the main adjuvant treatments for advanced RCC and require early diagnosis, precise assessment, and prediction of the therapeutic responses. Current conventional imaging methods of RCC only provide structural information rather than biological processes. Noninvasive diagnostic tools are therefore needed to image RCC early and accurately at the molecular level. Nuclear medicine imaging combines the high sensitivity of radionuclides with the high resolution of structural imaging to visualize the metabolic processes and specific targets of RCC for more accurate and reliable diagnosis, staging, prognosis prediction, and response assessment. This review summarizes the most recent applications of nuclear medicine receptor imaging and metabolic imaging in RCC and highlights future development perspectives in the field.

18F-FDG and 68GA-Prostate-Specific Membrane Antigen PET/CT Perform Better Than CT Alone in Restaging Papillary Renal Cell Carcinoma Recurrence

ABSTRACT

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) shows variable FDG uptake; recently, PET/CT with prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA)-target radiotracers was demonstrated to be a promising tool in staging and restaging of RCC patients. We describe the case of a 77-year-old man with a lung metastasis of papillary RCC missed by CT scan who successfully underwent [18F]FDG PET/CT restaging. Targeted therapy with sunitinib was administered. A [68Ga]PSMA PET/CT performed during follow-up demonstrated, among the already known lesions, also a bone marrow metastasis, missed by previous CT scans. This case demonstrates that PET/CT molecular imaging with [18F]FDG and [68Ga]PSMA is superior to conventional imaging in RCC restaging and in assessing therapy response.