The value of 18F-FDG PET/CT after autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) in patients affected by multiple myeloma (MM): experience with 77 patients. Clin Nucl Med. 2013;38:e74-e79. [PMID: 23143049 DOI: 10.1097/rlu.0b013e318266cee2]

Semi-quantitative FDG parameters predict survival in multiple myeloma patients without autologous stem cell transplantation

BACKGROUND

F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (FDG PET/CT) is useful in multiple myeloma (MM) for initial workup and treatment response evaluation. Herein, we evaluated the prognostic value of semi-quantitative FDG parameters for predicting the overall survival (OS) of MM patients with or without autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT).

METHODS

Study subjects comprised 227 MM patients who underwent baseline FDG PET/CT. Therein, 123 underwent ASCT while 104 did not. Volumes of interest (VOIs) of bones were drawn on CT images using a threshold of 150 Hounsfield units. FDG parameters of maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax), mean SUV (SUVmean), metabolic tumor volume (MTV), total lesion glycolysis (TLG), and number of focal lesions (FLs) were measured. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis with log-rank tests and Cox proportional hazards regression analyses were performed for overall survival (OS).

RESULTS

In the ASCT cohort, R-ISS stage, MTV, and TLG were associated with survival. In the non-ASCT cohort, however, R-ISS stage was not associated with patient outcomes. In contrast, high SUVmax, SUVmean, MTV, TLG, and FL could predict worse OS (hazard ratio [HR] = 2.569, 2.649, 2.506, 2.839, and 1.988, respectively). Importantly, combining FDG parameters with R-ISS stage provided a new risk classification system that discriminated worse OS in the non-ASCT cohort significantly better than did R-ISS stage alone.

CONCLUSIONS

In the non-ASCT cohort, semi-quantitative FDG parameters were significant predictors of worse OS. Furthermore, combining FDG parameters with R-ISS stage may provide a new risk staging system that can better stratify the survival of MM patients without ASCT.

Functional Imaging in the Evaluation of Treatment Response in Multiple Myeloma: The Role of PET-CT and MRI

Bone disease is among the defining characteristics of symptomatic Multiple Myeloma (MM). Imaging techniques such as fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography-computed tomography (FDG PET/CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can identify plasma cell proliferation and quantify disease activity. This function renders these imaging tools as suitable not only for diagnosis, but also for the assessment of bone disease after treatment of MM patients. The aim of this article is to review FDG PET/CT and MRI and their applications, with a focus on their role in treatment response evaluation. MRI emerges as the technique with the highest sensitivity in lesions' detection and PET/CT as the technique with a major impact on prognosis. Their comparison yields different results concerning the best tool to evaluate treatment response. The inhomogeneity of the data suggests the need to address limitations related to these tools with the employment of new techniques and the potential for a complementary use of both PET/CT and MRI to refine the sensitivity and achieve the standards for minimal residual disease (MRD) evaluation.

Long-Term Responders After Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation in Multiple Myeloma

Introduction

Multiple myeloma (MM) is considered an incurable hematological neoplasm. For transplant-eligible patients, initial treatment includes an induction phase followed by an autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT). Despite the introduction of several drugs in the past years, relapses still occur. Nevertheless, some patients achieve sustained responses after successful induction treatment and ASCT.

Methods

We retrospectively evaluated all patients diagnosed with MM in our institution who underwent induction treatment and ASCT between 1990 and 2015. The subset of patients who achieved a sustained response (any degree) for 5 or more years after ASCT without further treatment or signs of progression were distinguished as “long-term responders” (LTRs). In the non-LTR group, a cohort referred to as “prolonged responders” (PLRs) showed sustained response of at least 5 years after ASCT but eventually relapsed. We collected and analyzed clinical and laboratory data.

Results

Two hundred and fifty patients were diagnosed with MM and received induction treatment and ASCT at our institution in the study period. Among them, 54 (21.6%) patients met the criteria for LTR. Some diagnostic features such as a younger age, female gender, ECOG performance status of 0, lower International Staging System (ISS) stage, lower bone marrow plasma cell infiltration, and lower serum levels of calcium, C-reactive protein, and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) were found to be more prevalent in LTR. Female gender, an ECOG performance status of 0, a localized Durie-Salmon stage, an ISS of I–II, the absence of bone disease, and an LDH within normal range were also predictive of longer progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in the whole cohort. The depth of the response achieved after induction and ASCT as well as the administration of an IMID-based maintenance regimen may play a role in the differences observed on PFS between cohorts. A detectable M-protein with a monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS)-like behavior was detected in one-third of LTR after ASCT. Although relapses continue to occur in patients who achieve a 5-year treatment-free period after ASCT, a plateau is observed in the survival curves at approximately 21 years of follow-up.

Utility of PET/CT in Assessing Early Treatment Response in Patients With Newly Diagnosed Multiple Myeloma

Multiple Myeloma (MM) is a plasma cell malignancy characterized by diverse clinical presentations. While biochemical assessment of disease activity is commonly utilized to monitor treatment response, findings on magnetic resonance imaging and positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT), among other imaging modalities, have proven to harbor prognostic value. We sought to corroborate these findings by examining the prognostic significance of Fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET/CT scanning in the setting of newly diagnosed MM. We retrospectively analyzed 195 patients with a PET/CT available both at diagnosis and at 6 months post-treatment to examine the value of PET/CT results as an adjuvant metric to conventional hematologic responses in terms of time to next treatment (TTNT) and overall survival (OS). The median TTNT and OS for the entire cohort were 24.6 (95% CI=20.4-29.1) and 79 (95% CI=63.1-119.1) months, respectively. When comparing PET/CT (-) with PET/CT (+) patients, we found significantly prolonged median TTNT (55.2 vs. 17.8 months, p<0.0001) and OS (unreached vs. 60.8 months, p<0.0001) for the PET/CT (-) group. We then examined the additive value of PET/CT on the hematologic response achieved at 6 months, and we found that PET/CT (-) is associated with significantly increased median TTNT and OS for both the very good partial response (VGPR) group and the less than VGPR group. Importantly, PET/CT retained prognostic significance after adjusting for multiple other predictive variables. We conclude that a PET/CT (-) at 6 months confers a significant prognostic advantage for newly diagnosed MM patients and adds significant value to the hematologic response assessment.

Minimal Residual Disease Assessment in Multiple Myeloma Patients: Minimal Disease With Maximal Implications

Multiple Myeloma (MM), the second most common hematologic malignancy, has been the target of many therapeutic advances over the past two decades. The introduction of novel agents, such as proteasome inhibitors, immunomodulatory drugs, and monoclonal antibodies, along with autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (ASCT) in the current standard of care, has increased the median survival of myeloma patients significantly. Nevertheless, a curative treatment option continues to elude us, and MM remains an incurable disease, with patients relapsing even after achieving deep conventionally defined responses, underscoring the need for the development of sensitive methods that will allow for proper identification and management of the patients with a higher probability of relapse. Accurate detection of Minimal Residual Disease (MRD) from a bone marrow biopsy represents a relatively new approach of evaluating response to treatment with data showing clear benefit from obtaining MRD(-) status at any point of the disease course. As life expectancy for patients with MM continues to increase and deep responses are starting to become the norm, establishing and refining the role of MRD in the disease course is more relevant than ever. This review examines the different methods used to detect MRD and discusses future considerations regarding the implementation in day-to-day clinical practice and as a prospective primary endpoint for clinical trials.

Role of FDG PET in the staging of multiple myeloma

¹⁸F-Fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET has been used for staging of hematologic malignancies for years. In multiple myeloma, this imaging modality can be used in many different scenarios, including initial staging, evaluation of treatment response, and investigation of residual disease or early relapse. FDG PET-CT has excellent diagnostic performance, similar to other advanced imaging modalities such as whole-body CT and MRI, and it is particularly helpful for the assessment of extramedullary disease. It also offers important prognostic information on survival and risk of relapse, both at baseline and after therapy. This review will cover the main applications, advantages, and limitations of FDG PET-CT in multiple myeloma and related clonal plasma cell proliferative disorders, such as smoldering multiple myeloma and plasmacytoma.

Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Imaging of Multiple Myeloma in a Post-Treatment Setting

2-deoxy-2-[18F]fluoro-D-glucose (FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (FDG PET/CT) has an established clinical value in the diagnosis and initial staging of multiple myeloma (MM). In the last ten years, a vast body of literature has shown that this tool can also be of high relevance for monitoring therapy responses, making it the recommended imaging approach in this field. Starting from the strengths and weaknesses of radiological imaging in MM, the present review aims to analyze FDG PET/CT’s current clinical value focusing on therapy response assessment and objective interpretation criteria for therapy monitoring. Given the potential occurrence of patients with MM showing non-FDG-avid bone disease, new opportunities can be provided by non-FDG PET tracers. Accordingly, the potential role of non-FDG PET tracers in this setting has also been discussed.

Functional Imaging for Therapeutic Assessment and Minimal Residual Disease Detection in Multiple Myeloma

Serum markers and bone marrow examination are commonly used for monitoring therapy response in multiple myeloma (MM), but this fails to identify minimal residual disease (MRD), which frequently persists after therapy even in complete response patients, and extra-medullary disease escape. Positron emission tomography with computed tomography using 18F-deoxyglucose (FDG-PET/CT) is the reference imaging technique for therapeutic assessment and MRD detection in MM. To date, all large prospective cohort studies of transplant-eligible newly diagnosed MM patients have shown a strong and independent pejorative prognostic impact of not obtaining complete metabolic response by FDG-PET/CT after therapy, especially before maintenance. The FDG-PET/CT and MRD (evaluated by flow cytometry or next-generation sequencing at 10⁻⁵ and 10⁻⁶ levels, respectively) results are complementary for MRD detection outside and inside the bone marrow. For patients with at least a complete response, to reach double negativity (FDG-PET/CT and MRD) is a predictive surrogate for patient outcome. Homogenization of FDG-PET/CT interpretation after therapy, especially clarification of complete metabolic response definition, is currently underway. FDG-PET/CT does not allow MRD to be evaluated when it is negative at initial workup of symptomatic MM. New PET tracers such as CXCR4 ligands have shown high diagnostic value and could replace FDG in this setting. New sensitive functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques such as diffusion-weighted MRI appear to be complementary to FDG-PET/CT for imaging MRD detection. The goal of this review is to examine the feasibility of functional imaging, especially FDG-PET/CT, for therapeutic assessment and MRD detection in MM.

Minimal Residual Disease in Multiple Myeloma: Current Landscape and Future Applications With Immunotherapeutic Approaches

The basic principle that deeper therapeutic responses lead to better clinical outcomes in cancer has emerged technologies capable of detecting rare residual tumor cells. The need for ultra-sensitive approaches for minimal residual disease (MRD) detection is particularly evident in Multiple Myeloma (MM), where patients will ultimately relapse despite the achievement of complete remission, which is commonplace due to remarkable therapeutic advances. Consequently, current response criteria on MM have been amended based on MRD status and MRD negativity is now considered the most dominant prognostic factor and the most valuable indicator for a subsequent relapse. However, there are particular limitations and several aspects for MRD assessment that remain open. This review summarizes current data on MRD in the clinical management of MM, highlights open issues and discusses the challenges and the endless opportunities arising for both patients and clinicians. Furthermore, it focuses on the current status of MRD in clinical trials, its dynamics in addressing debatable aspects in the clinical handling and its potential role as the prevailing factor for future MRD-driven tailored therapies.

The role of CT in PET/CT for assessing diffuse infiltration of bone marrow in multiple myeloma using the Durie-Salmon PLUS staging system

PET/CT has been identified as one of the routine methods for the assessment of multiple myeloma (MM) bone marrow infiltration. In the routine method of performing PET/CT, the 18F-Fludeoxyglucose (¹⁸F-FDG) uptake in this disease is often used in the assessment of this condition, however CT diagnosis is not currently commonly used. The aim of the present study was to investigate the importance of CT in PET/CT for assessing diffuse infiltration (DI) of bone marrow in MM. MRI was used as a control in the present study, which is the gold standard for assessing DI of bone marrow and is divided into 3 levels: Mild, moderate and severe DI. Subsequently, a total of four combinations of PET and CT results were listed using the enumeration method for the evaluation of DI in the bone marrow. These combinations were respectively compared with the three levels of MR imaging to screen the most consistent method. The concordances of the new method and routine ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT for the assessment of DI with MR imaging were compared using the McNemar test, respectively. The results of the DI assessment from the two methods were verified by performing Durie-Salmon (D-S) PLUS staging. Compared with MR imaging, the results were as follows: PET and CT exhibited negative results, suggesting mild DI; one of them was positive, suggesting moderate DI; and two were positive, suggesting severe DI. The results of concordance between two methods (new and routine) and MR imaging are indicated as follows: For the new method, McNemar test, P=0.513 and Kappa=0.745; for the routine ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT method, McNemar test, P=0.03 and Kappa=0.547. Re-performance of D-S PLUS staging presented the following results: New method, McNemar test, P=0.317 and Kappa=0.93; for the routine method, McNemar test, P=0.223 and Kappa=0.811. These findings indicated that the CT component of PET/CT could improve the concordance with MRI results in the assessment of DI, and the same results were obtained when D-S PLUS staging was performed. The CT in PET/CT can enhance diagnostic accuracy in the assessment of DI by reducing the false negatives when compared with the routine ¹⁸F-FDG method.

18F-FDG and 11C-Methionine PET/CT in Newly Diagnosed Multiple Myeloma Patients: Comparison of Volume-Based PET Biomarkers

¹¹C-methionine (¹¹C-MET) is a new positron emission tomography (PET) tracer for the assessment of disease activity in multiple myeloma (MM) patients, with preliminary data suggesting higher sensitivity and specificity than ¹⁸F-fluorodeoxyglucose (¹⁸F-FDG). However, the value of tumor burden biomarkers has yet to be investigated. Our goals were to corroborate the superiority of ¹¹C-MET for MM staging and to compare its suitability for the assessment of metabolic tumor burden biomarkers in comparison to ¹⁸F-FDG. Twenty-two patients with newly diagnosed, treatment-naïve symptomatic MM who had undergone ¹¹C-MET and ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT were evaluated. Standardized uptake values (SUV) were determined and compared with total metabolic tumor volume (TMTV) for both tracers: total lesion glycolysis (TLG) and total lesion ¹¹C-MET uptake (TLMU). PET-derived values were compared to Revised International Staging System (R-ISS), cytogenetic, and serologic MM markers such as M component, beta 2 microglobulin (B2M), serum free light chains (FLC), albumin, and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). In 11 patients (50%), ¹¹C-MET detected more focal lesions (FL) than FDG (p < 0.01). SUVmax, SUVmean, SUVpeak, TMTV, and TLMU were also significantly higher in ¹¹C-MET than in ¹⁸F-FDG (p < 0.05, respectively). ¹¹C-MET PET biomarkers had a better correlation with tumor burden (bone marrow plasma cell infiltration, M component; p < 0.05 versus p = n.s. respectively). This pilot study suggests that ¹¹C-MET PET/CT is a more sensitive marker for the assessment of myeloma tumor burden than ¹⁸F-FDG. Its implications for prognosis evaluation need further investigation.

Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Radiopharmaceuticals in Multiple Myeloma

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a plasma cell disorder, characterized by clonal proliferation of malignant plasma cells in the bone marrow. Bone disease is the most frequent feature and an end-organ defining indicator of MM. In this context, imaging plays a pivotal role in the management of the malignancy. For several decades whole-body X-ray survey (WBXR) has been applied for the diagnosis and staging of bone disease in MM. However, the serious drawbacks of WBXR have led to its gradual replacement from novel imaging modalities, such as computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT). PET/CT, with the tracer ¹⁸F-fluorodeoxyglucose (¹⁸F-FDG), is now considered a powerful diagnostic tool for the detection of medullary and extramedullary disease at the time of diagnosis, a reliable predictor of survival as well as the most robust modality for treatment response evaluation in MM. On the other hand, ¹⁸F-FDG carries its own limitations as a radiopharmaceutical, including a rather poor sensitivity for the detection of diffuse bone marrow infiltration, a relatively low specificity, and the lack of widely applied, established criteria for image interpretation. This has led to the development of several alternative PET tracers, some of which with promising results regarding MM detection. The aim of this review article is to outline the major applications of PET/CT with different radiopharmaceuticals in the clinical practice of MM.

Fludeoxyglucose F 18 PET/Computed Tomography Evaluation of Therapeutic Response in Multiple Myeloma

Multiple myeloma is a malignancy of terminally differentiated plasma cells representing the second most common hematological malignancy. The recognition that disease outside the marrow can significantly influence the outcome of patients has highlighted the importance of imaging to define presence of tumor. Recent studies have demonstrated an added value of using imaging to assess presence of disease both inside and outside the marrow. To this end, the response criteria have been revised to include PET/computed tomography to be used in conjunction with bone marrow assessment to determine minimal residual disease status.

PET with Fluorodeoxyglucose F 18/Computed Tomography as a Staging Tool in Multiple Myeloma

In the past decade novel treatment options have dramatically prolonged the survival of patients with multiple myeloma. PET combined with computed tomography (CT) is a sensitive and reliable functional imaging tool that enables diagnosis and assessment of response to chemotherapy/radiotherapy, and combines high sensitivity in identifying both lytic lesions and extramedullary soft-tissue masses with the ability to provide reliable prognostic information in the management of patients with myeloma. This review comprises a comprehensive overview of PET with fluorodeoxyglucose F 18/CT imaging in combination with other convenient imaging procedures, and attempts at standardization with emphasis on post-therapy findings in patients with myeloma.

Interest of Pet Imaging in Multiple Myeloma

The interest of 18Fluoro-deoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) imaging in the management of patients with multiple myeloma (MM) for the workup at diagnosis and for therapeutic evaluation has recently been demonstrated. FDG-PET is a powerful imaging tool for bone lesions detection at initial diagnosis with high sensitivity and specificity values. The independent pejorative prognostic value on progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) of baseline PET-derived parameters (presence of extra-medullary disease (EMD), number of focal bone lesions (FLs), and maximum standardized uptake values [SUV_max]) has been reported in several large independent prospective studies. During therapeutic evaluation, FDG-PET is considered as the reference imaging technique, because it can be performed much earlier than MRI which lacks specificity. Persistence of significant FDG uptake after treatment, notably before maintenance therapy, is an independent pejorative prognostic factor, especially for patients with a complete biological response. So FDG-PET and medullary flow cytometry are complementary tools for detection of minimal residual disease before maintenance therapy. However, the definition of PET metabolic complete response should be standardized. In patients with smoldering multiple myeloma, the presence of at least one hyper-metabolic lytic lesions on FDG-PET may be considered as a criterion for initiating therapy. FDG-PET is also indicated for initial staging of a solitary plasmacytoma so as to not disregard other bone or extra-medullary localizations. Development of nuclear medicine offer new perspectives for MM imaging. Recent PET tracers are willing to overcome limitations of FDG. (11)C-Methionine, which uptake reflects the increased protein synthesis of malignant cells seems to correlate well with bone marrow infiltration. Lipid tracers, such as Choline or acetate, and some peptide tracers, such as (68) Ga-Pentixafor, that targets CXCR4 (chemokine receptor-4, which is often expressed with high density by myeloma cells), are other promising PET ligands. 18F-fludarabine and immuno-PET targeting CD138 and CD38 also showed promising results in preclinical models.

Imaging in myeloma with focus on advanced imaging techniques

In recent years, there have been major advances in the imaging of myeloma with whole body MRI incorporating diffusion-weighted imaging, emerging as the most sensitive modality. Imaging is now a key component in the work-up of patients with a suspected diagnosis of myeloma. The International Myeloma Working Group now specifies that more than one focal lesion on MRI or lytic lesion on whole body low-dose CT or fludeoxyglucose (FDG) PET/CT fulfil the criteria for bone damage requiring therapy. The recent National Institute for Health and Care Excellence myeloma guidelines recommend imaging in all patients with suspected myeloma. In addition, there is emerging data supporting the use of functional imaging techniques (WB-DW MRI and FDG PET/CT) to predict outcome and evaluate response to therapy. This review summarises the imaging modalities used in myeloma, the latest guidelines relevant to imaging and future directions.

Prognostic significance of normalized FDG-PET parameters in patients with multiple myeloma undergoing induction chemotherapy and autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation: a retrospective single-center evaluation

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study was to determine retrospectively, through a single-center evaluation, whether FDG PET-CT normalized semi-quantitative parameters may predict response to induction chemotherapy (iChT) and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), as well as disease progression and progression-free survival in multiple myeloma (MM) patients, thus becoming a tool of personalized medicine.

METHODS

Patients undergoing iChT and HSCT with baseline and post-treatment FDG PET-CTs from January 2008 to July 2015 were included. The following baseline and post-treatment parameters were obtained: SUVmax, SUVmean, SUVpeak, MTVsum, TLGsum, rPET (lesion SUVmax/liver SUVmax) and qPET (lesion SUVpeak/liver SUVmean). Baseline-to-post-treatment changes (Δ) were also calculated. Metabolic and clinical laboratory progression or response at follow-up were noted; time-to-metabolic-progression (TMP) was defined as the interval from post-treatment scan to eventual progression at follow-up FDG PET-CTs. Possible association between each functional parameter and metabolic/clinical-laboratory progression or response was determined. Kaplan-Meier curves allowed to depict the TMP trend according to FDG PET-CT parameters.

RESULTS

Twenty-eight patients were included. Significantly higher ΔrPET and ΔqPET values were observed in ten patients with "metabolic response", with respect to 18 patients having "metabolic progression" (median 0.62 [IQR 0.32 - 1.34] vs median 0.00 [IQR -0.25 - 0.49] for ΔrPET; P = 0.045; median 0.51 [IQR 0.32 - 1.13] vs median 0.00 [IQR -0.31 - 0.67] for ΔqPET; P = 0.035). Neither normalized nor non normalized parameters differed significantly between the 20 patients with "clinical-laboratory response" and the eight patients with "clinical-laboratory progression". ΔrPET value lower than 0.38 and ΔqPET value lower than 0.27 predicted a significantly shorter TMP (P = 0.003 and P = 0.005, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

Normalized semi-quantitative parameters are effective in predicting persistent response to treatment and shorter TMP in patients with MM undergoing iChT and HSCT.

Functional Imaging Methods for Assessment of Minimal Residual Disease in Multiple Myeloma: Current Status and Novel ImmunoPET Based Methods

Imaging plays a key role in assessment of myeloma. Osteolytic bone lesions are optimally assessed using structural imaging, however the structural changes lag the functional changes in the disease. Functional imaging with fluoro deoxy glucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) computerized tomography (CT) is useful in assessment of high-risk myeloma. FDG PET provides prognostic information and is helpful in monitoring response to therapy. However, it is nonspecific and may not be optimal in assessing treatment response to immunotherapeutic agents. Imaging with targeted agents may allow for better assessment of changes from therapy, that is based on the specific targeted mechanism. ImmunoPET imaging is a novel method to assess targeting of specific antigen by therapeutic antibodies. This review summarizes the role of functional imaging and development of novel immunoPET agents for assessment of treatment response and residual disease.

Interpretation criteria for FDG PET/CT in multiple myeloma (IMPeTUs): final results. IMPeTUs (Italian myeloma criteria for PET USe)

ᅟ: FDG PET/CT (¹⁸F-fluoro-deoxy-glucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography) is a useful tool to image multiple myeloma (MM). However, simple and reproducible reporting criteria are still lacking and there is the need for harmonization. Recently, a group of Italian nuclear medicine experts defined new visual descriptive criteria (Italian Myeloma criteria for Pet Use: IMPeTUs) to standardize FDG PET/CT evaluation in MM patients. The aim of this study was to assess IMPeTUs reproducibility on a large prospective cohort of MM patients.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Patients affected by symptomatic MM who had performed an FDG PET/CT at baseline (PET0), after induction (PET-AI), and the end of treatment (PET-EoT) were prospectively enrolled in a multicenter trial (EMN02)(NCT01910987; MMY3033). After anonymization, PET images were uploaded in the web platform WIDEN® and hence distributed to five expert nuclear medicine reviewers for a blinded independent central review according to the IMPeTUs criteria. Consensus among reviewers was measured by the percentage of agreement and the Krippendorff's alpha. Furthermore, on a patient-based analysis, the concordance among all the reviewers in terms of positivity or negativity of the FDG PET/CT scan was tested for different thresholds of positivity (Deauville score (DS 2, 3, 4, 5) for the main parameters (bone marrow, focal score, extra-medullary disease).

RESULTS

Eighty-six patients (211 FDG PET/CT scans) were included in this analysis. Median patient age was 58 years (range, 35-66 years), 45% were male, 15% of them were in stage ISS (International Staging System) III, and 42% had high-risk cytogenetics. The percentage agreement was superior to 75% for all the time points, reaching 100% of agreement in assessing the presence skull lesions after therapy. Comparable results were obtained when the agreement analysis was performed using the Krippendorff's alpha coefficient, either in every single time point of scanning (PET0, PET-AI or PET-EoT) or overall for all the scans together. DS proved highly reproducible with the highest reproducibility for score 4.

CONCLUSIONS

IMPeTUs criteria proved highly reproducible and could therefore be considered as a base for harmonizing PET interpretation in multiple myeloma. A prospective clinical validation of IMPeTUs criteria is underway.

The Critical Role of Imaging in the Management of Multiple Myeloma

Multiple myeloma (MM) is characterized by abnormal proliferation of plasma cells in the bone marrow leading to symptoms of anemia, renal failure, hypercalcemia, and bone lesions. Bone imaging is critical for the diagnosis, staging, assessment for the presence and extent of bone lesions, and initial treatment of MM. Skeletal survey is the preferred initial imaging modality due to its availability and low cost. However, it has poor sensitivity and patients with occult myeloma may escape detection, delaying their diagnosis and treatment. New cross-sectional imaging modalities such as low-dose whole body CT, MRI, and PET-CT have high sensitivity and specificity for detecting lytic lesions and extramedullary relapse in MM. The combined use of cross-sectional imaging may provide complimentary information for staging, prognosis, and disease monitoring. In this review, we will discuss commonly used imaging modalities and their advantages and disadvantages in the management of MM.

Risk Stratification in Multiple Myeloma

There are many prognostic variables in multiple myeloma and the difficulty is in deciding which is truly significant. The widely used International Staging System (ISS) does not incorporate genetics, age, and other important variables in its risk stratification. Although it has its own limitations, the recently published Revised International Staging System (R-ISS) that was built upon the framework of ISS, is a more comprehensive and predictive tool for multiple myeloma patients and should be henceforth utilised. We will review the current prognostic variables and their significance in this paper.

Role of 18F-FDG PET/CT in the diagnosis and management of multiple myeloma and other plasma cell disorders: a consensus statement by the International Myeloma Working Group

The International Myeloma Working Group consensus aimed to provide recommendations for the optimal use of ¹⁸fluorodeoxyglucose (¹⁸F-FDG) PET/CT in patients with multiple myeloma and other plasma cell disorders, including smouldering multiple myeloma and solitary plasmacytoma. ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT can be considered a valuable tool for the work-up of patients with both newly diagnosed and relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma because it assesses bone damage with relatively high sensitivity and specificity, and detects extramedullary sites of proliferating clonal plasma cells while providing important prognostic information. The use of ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT is mandatory to confirm a suspected diagnosis of solitary plasmacytoma, provided that whole-body MRI is unable to be performed, and to distinguish between smouldering and active multiple myeloma, if whole-body X-ray (WBXR) is negative and whole-body MRI is unavailable. Based on the ability of ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT to distinguish between metabolically active and inactive disease, this technique is now the preferred functional imaging modality to evaluate and to monitor the effect of therapy on myeloma-cell metabolism. Changes in FDG avidity can provide an earlier evaluation of response to therapy compared to MRI scans, and can predict outcomes, particularly for patients who are eligible to receive autologous stem-cell transplantation. ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT can be coupled with sensitive bone marrow-based techniques to detect minimal residual disease (MRD) inside and outside the bone marrow, helping to identify those patients who are defined as having imaging MRD negativity.

PET/MR Imaging of Multiple Myeloma

PET-magnetic resonance (MR) is a hybrid imaging modality that combines PET and MR. Evidence for this new modality is in the process of being developed, but both component modalities are well tested in the diagnosis and management of multiple myeloma. It allows advanced bimodality imaging of the whole body with an adaptable field of view and it can be used for monitoring plasma cell dyscrasias for progression to multiple myeloma, for assessing disease burden in patients with known multiple myeloma, for assessing response to therapy and relapse after remission, and for radiation therapy treatment planning.

PET Imaging for Initial Staging and Therapy Assessment in Multiple Myeloma Patients

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a hematological neoplasm characterized by the clonal proliferation of malignant plasma cells in the bone marrow. MM results in diffuse or focal bone infiltration and extramedullary lesions. Over the past two decades, advances have been made with regard to the diagnosis, staging, treatment, and imaging of MM. Computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are currently recommended as the most effective imaging modalities at diagnostic. Yet, recent data from the literature suggest that positron emission tomography combined with computed tomography (PET/CT) using 18F-deoxyglucose (FDG) is a promising technique for initial staging and therapeutic monitoring in this pathology. This paper reviews the recent advances as well as the potential place of a more specific radiopharmaceutical in MM.

Nuclear medicine imaging of multiple myeloma, particularly in the relapsed setting

Multiple myeloma (MM) is characterized by a monoclonal plasma cell population in the bone marrow. Lytic lesions occur in up to 90 % of patients. For many years, whole-body X-ray (WBX) was the method of choice for detecting skeleton abnormalities. However, the value of WBX in relapsing disease is limited because lesions persist post-treatment, which restricts the capacity to distinguish between old, inactive skeletal lesions and new, active ones. Therefore, alternative techniques are necessary to visualize disease activity. Modern imaging techniques such as magnetic resonance imaging, positron emission tomography and computed tomography offer superior detection of myeloma bone disease and extramedullary manifestations. In particular, the properties of nuclear imaging enable the identification of disease activity by directly targeting the specific cellular properties of malignant plasma cells. In this review, an overview is provided of the effectiveness of radiopharmaceuticals that target metabolism, surface receptors and angiogenesis. The available literature data for commonly used nuclear imaging tracers, the promising first results of new tracers, and our pilot work indicate that a number of these radiopharmaceutical applications can be used effectively for staging and response monitoring of relapsing MM patients. Moreover, some tracers can potentially be used for radio immunotherapy.

Treatment response evaluation with 18F-FDG PET/CT and 18F-NaF PET/CT in multiple myeloma patients undergoing high-dose chemotherapy and autologous stem cell transplantation

AIM

The aim of this study was to assess the combined use of the radiotracers ¹⁸F-FDG and ¹⁸F-NaF in treatment response evaluation of a group of multiple myeloma (MM) patients undergoing high-dose chemotherapy (HDT) followed by autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) by means of static (whole-body) and dynamic PET/CT (dPET/CT).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Thirty-four patients with primary, previously untreated MM scheduled for treatment with HDT followed by ASCT were enrolled in the study. All patients underwent PET/CT scanning with ¹⁸F-FDG and ¹⁸F-NaF before and after therapy. Treatment response by means of PET/CT was assessed according to the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) 1999 criteria. The evaluation of dPET/CT studies was based on qualitative evaluation, semi-quantitative (SUV) calculation, and quantitative analysis based on two-tissue compartment modelling and a non-compartmental approach leading to the extraction of fractal dimension (FD).

RESULTS

An analysis was possible in 29 patients: three with clinical complete response (CR) and 26 with non-CR (13 patients near complete response-nCR, four patients very good partial response-VGPR, nine patients partial response-PR). After treatment, ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT was negative in 14/29 patients and positive in 15/29 patients, showing a sensitivity of 57.5 % and a specificity of 100 %. According to the EORTC 1999 criteria, ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT-based treatment response revealed CR in 14 patients (¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT CR), PR in 11 patients (¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT PR) and progressive disease in four patients (¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT PD). In terms of ¹⁸F-NaF PET/CT, 4/29 patients (13.8 %) had a negative baseline scan, thus failed to depict MM. Regarding the patients for which a direct lesion-to-lesion comparison was feasible, ¹⁸F-NaF PET/CT depicted 56 of the 129 ¹⁸F-FDG positive lesions (43 %). Follow-up ¹⁸F-NaF PET/CT showed persistence of 81.5 % of the baseline ¹⁸F-NaF positive MM lesions after treatment, despite the fact that 64.7 % of them had turned to ¹⁸F-FDG negative. Treatment response according to ¹⁸F-NaF PET/CT revealed CR in one patient (¹⁸F-NaF PET/CT CR), PR in five patients (¹⁸F-NaF PET/CT PR), SD in 12 patients (¹⁸F-NaF PET/CT SD), and PD in seven patients (¹⁸F-NaF PET/CT PD). Dynamic ¹⁸F-FDG and ¹⁸F-NaF PET/CT studies showed that SUV_average, SUV_max, as well as the kinetic parameters K₁, influx and FD from reference bone marrow and skeleton responded to therapy with a significant decrease (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

F-FDG PET/CT demonstrated a sensitivity of 57.7 % and a specificity of 100 % in treatment response evaluation of MM. Despite its limited sensitivity, the performance of ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT was satisfactory, given that 6/9 false negative patients in follow-up scans (66.7 %) were clinically characterized as nCR, a disease stage with very low tumor mass. On the other hand, ¹⁸F-NaF PET/CT does not seem to add significantly to ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT in treatment response evaluation of MM patients undergoing HDT and ASCT, at least shortly after therapy.

FDG-PET imaging in hematological malignancies

The majority of aggressive lymphomas is characterized by an up regulated glycolytic activity, which enables the visualization by F-18 FDG-PET/CT. One-stop hybrid FDG-PET/CT combines the functional and morphologic information, outperforming both, CT and FDG-PET as separate imaging modalities. This has resulted in several recommendations using FDG-PET/CT for staging, restaging, monitoring during therapy, and assessment of treatment response as well as identification of malignant transformation. FDG-PET/CT may obviate the need for a bone marrow biopsy in patients with Hodgkin's lymphoma and diffuse large B cell lymphoma. FDG-PET/CT response assessment is recommended for FDG-avid lymphomas, whereas CT-based response evaluation remains important in lymphomas with low or variable FDG avidity. The treatment induced change in metabolic activity allows for assessment of response after completion of therapy as well as prediction of outcome early during therapy. The five-point scale Deauville Criteria allows the assessment of treatment response based on visual FDG-PET analysis. Although the use of FDG-PET/CT for prediction of therapeutic response is promising it should only be conducted in the context of clinical trials. Surveillance FDG-PET/CT after complete remission is discouraged due to the relative high number of false-positive findings, which in turn may result in further unnecessary investigations. Future directions include the use of new PET tracers such as F-18 fluorothymidine (FLT), a surrogate biomarker of cellular proliferation and Ga-68 CXCR4, a chemokine receptor imaging biomarker as well as innovative digital PET/CT and PET/MRI techniques.

11C-Methionine-PET: a novel and sensitive tool for monitoring of early response to treatment in multiple myeloma

Multiple myeloma (MM) remains an essentially incurable hematologic malignancy. However, new treatment modalities and novel drugs have been introduced and thus additional tools for therapy monitoring are increasingly needed. Therefore, we evaluated the radiotracers 11C-Methionine (paraprotein-biosynthesis) and 18F-FDG (glucose-utilization) for monitoring response to anti-myeloma-therapy and outcome prediction. Influence of proteasome-inhibition on radiotracer-uptake of different MM cell-lines and patient-derived CD138+ plasma cells was analyzed and related to tumor-biology. Mice xenotransplanted with MM.1S tumors underwent MET- and FDG-μPET. Tumor-to-background ratios before and after 24 h, 8 and 15 days treatment with bortezomib were correlated to survival. Treatment reduced both MET and FDG uptake; changes in tracer-retention correlated with a switch from high to low CD138-expression. In xenotransplanted mice, MET-uptake significantly decreased by 30-79% as early as 24 h after bortezomib injection. No significant differences were detected thus early with FDG. This finding was confirmed in patient-derived MM cells. Importantly, early reduction of MET- but not FDG-uptake correlated with improved survival and reduced tumor burden in mice. Our results suggest that MET is superior to FDG in very early assessment of response to anti-myeloma-therapy. Early changes in MET-uptake have predictive potential regarding response and survival. MET-PET holds promise to individualize therapies in MM in future.

MR imaging and PET/CT in diagnosis and management of multiple myeloma

Multiple myeloma is a common hematologic malignancy among the elderly population. Although there have been many advances in treatment over the past few decades, the overall prognosis for the disease remains poor. Conventional radiography has long been the standard of reference for the imaging of multiple myeloma. However, 10%-20% of patients with multiple myeloma do not have evidence of disease at conventional radiography. There is a growing body of evidence supporting use of magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and 2-[fluorine-18]fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) in diagnosis and management of multiple myeloma. MR imaging is useful in detection of bone marrow infiltration, a finding often missed at conventional radiography. FDG PET/CT is especially sensitive for the detection of extramedullary disease and can help detect the metabolically active lesions that often precede evidence of osseous destruction at conventional radiography. MR imaging and FDG PET/CT are useful tools that can provide essential information for diagnosis and management of patients with multiple myeloma. Both modalities allow accurate localization of disease after chemotherapy or autologous stem cell transplantation and can provide important prognostic information that can influence further clinical decision making regarding therapy, particularly when tumor serum markers may be a less reliable indicator of disease burden after repeated treatments.

11C-Methionine-PET in Multiple Myeloma: Correlation with Clinical Parameters and Bone Marrow Involvement

Multiple myeloma (MM) remains an essentially incurable hematologic malignancy originating from clonal plasma cells. This study evaluated the usefulness of the radiotracers ¹¹C-methionine (MET) and ¹⁸F-2`-deoxy-2`-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) for staging and re-staging in MM.

43 patients with MM underwent both MET- and FDG-PET/CT for staging or re-staging within 3±2 days. Scans were compared on a patient and on a lesion basis. Tracer uptake was correlated with the degree of bone marrow (BM) involvement and standard clinical parameters of disease activity. Additionally, BM samples were stained for L-type amino acid transporter 1 (LAT1) expression in 15 patients. MET-PET detected focal lesions (FL) in 39/43 subjects (90.7%), whereas 10 patients were missed in FDG-PET/CT (detection rate, 33/43; 76.7%; p<0.05). MET depicted more FL in 28/43 patients (65.1%; p<0.001), whereas in the remainder (34.9%, n=15) both tracers yielded comparable results. LAT1 was highly expressed on the cell surface of myeloma cells. Both FDG and MET uptake correlated significantly with biopsy-proven BM involvement (p<0.001), with MET demonstrating a stronger correlation (SUV_mean, r=0.9 vs r=0.6; SUV_max, r=0.88 vs r=0.58). Abnormal beta-2-microglobulin and free light chain levels correlated with the presence of focal intramedullary lesions detected in MET- or FDG-PET/CT (MET, p=0.006 and p=0.01, respectively; FDG, p=0.02 and p=0.01). MET appears to be superior to FDG for staging and re-staging of both intra- and extramedullary MM lesions. Tracer uptake correlates with BM involvement, β2m and FLC levels and appears to be a more accurate marker of tumor burden and disease activity.

Multiple Myeloma, Version 2.2016: Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a malignant neoplasm of plasma cells that accumulate in bone marrow, leading to bone destruction and marrow failure. Recent statistics from the American Cancer Society indicate that the incidence of MM is increasing. The NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines) included in this issue address management of patients with solitary plasmacytoma and newly diagnosed MM.

18 FDG-PET/CT for prognostic stratification of patients with multiple myeloma relapse after stem cell transplantation

The aim of this study was to investigate the prognostic value of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography–computed tomography (18F-FDG-PET/CT) in 37 patients with a history of multiple myeloma (MM) and suspected or confirmed recurrence after stem cell transplantation (SCT). All patients had been heavily pretreated. Time to progression (TTP) and overall survival (OS) were correlated to a number of different PET-derived as well as clinical parameters. Impact on patient management was assessed.

Absence of FDG-avid MM foci was a positive prognostic factor for both TTP and OS (p<0.01). Presence of >10 focal lesions correlated with both TTP (p<0.01) and OS (p<0.05). Interestingly, presence of >10 lesions in the appendicular skeleton proved to have the strongest association with disease progression. Intensity of glucose uptake and presence of extramedullary disease were associated with shorter TTP (p=0.037 and p=0.049, respectively). Manifestations in soft tissue structures turned out to be a strong negative predictor for both, TTP and OS (p<0.01, respectively). PET resulted in a change of management in 30% of patients.

Our data underline the prognostic value of 18F-FDG-PET/CT in MM patients also in the setting of post-SCT relapse. PET/CT has a significant impact on patient management.

[Imaging in smoldering (asymptomatic) multiple myeloma. Past, present and future]

CLINICAL ISSUE

Emerging clinical trial data support treatment of high-risk smoldering multiple myeloma (SMM) upon diagnosis, and not only at the time of progression to symptomatic complications (multiple myeloma). Early detection of bone and/or bone marrow involvement by sensitive imaging modalities may help define SMM patients at a high risk of progression.

STANDARD RADIOLOGICAL METHODS

Current (2011) consensus guidelines recognize skeletal survey as a cornerstone modality for assessment of bone involvement at initial diagnosis and during follow-up of SMM. Skeletal survey has severe limitations related to underdetection of bone lesions and also provides no information on bone marrow abnormalities.

METHODICAL INNOVATIONS

Modern imaging strategies such as fluorodeoxyglucose positron-emission tomography/CT (FDG PET/CT) and MRI, in conjunction with functional innovations, provide improved estimates of global abnormalities in the bone marrow and bone compartments. These methods have the potential to objectively quantify early transformation from SMM to multiple myeloma.

PERFORMANCE

Although frequently used for staging and risk prognostication in multiple myeloma, modern imaging techniques have only been evaluated to a limited extent in SMM. Scant data in SMM indicate the prognostic value of two or more MRI-detected focal bone marrow abnormalities, which, if present, predict rapid progression to multiple myeloma. Data evaluating the role of FDG PET/CT in detecting early bone marrow abnormalities as an aid to predicting risk or directing treatment in SMM is currently lacking.

ACHIEVEMENTS

The superior specificity and sensitivity of modern imaging techniques compared to skeletal survey suggest that these should have a place in standard practice management of patients at a high risk of SMM progression. The model imaging of the future should be an all-in-one strategy offering high diagnostic performance for bone marrow abnormalities and low-volume bone lesions, as well as allowing monitoring by minimizing radiation exposure and the need for contrast agents.

PRACTICAL RECOMMENDATIONS

Newer imaging techniques need to be validated in prospective clinical trials assessing the SMM to multiple myeloma transition, with the aim of enabling appropriate management decisions. Efforts are also needed to improve the costs and availability of whole-body MRI and/or FDG PET/CT, in order to facilitate their widespread adoption as first-line detection modalities. Future clinical trials of therapeutic agents using earlier detection strategies will have to be carefully designed and take into consideration the risk of lead-time and length-time biases, which might falsely demonstrate longer overall survival. The English full text version of this article is available at SpringerLink (under "Supplemental").

[Radiological diagnostics of multiple myeloma]

CLINICAL/METHODICAL ISSUE

Robust and reliable imaging methods are required to estimate the skeletal tumor load in multiple myeloma, as well as for the diagnosis of extraskeletal manifestations. Imaging also plays an essential role in the assessment of fracture risk and of vertebral fractures.

STANDARD RADIOLOGICAL METHODS

The conventional skeletal survey has been the gold standard in the imaging of multiple myeloma for many years.

METHODICAL INNOVATIONS

Other modalities which have been investigated and are in use are whole-body computed tomography (WBCT), 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography computed tomography (FDG PET-CT) and whole-body magnetic resonance imaging (WBMRI). These techniques are able to depict both mineralized bone and the bone marrow with a high sensitivity for myeloma lesions.

PERFORMANCE

Several studies have shown that cross-sectional imaging is superior to the skeletal survey in the detection of myeloma lesions and WBMRI has been shown to be significantly more sensitive than WBCT for the detection of focal myeloma lesions as well as for diffuse infiltration. The FDG PET-CT technique has a sensitivity comparable to WBMRI.

ACHIEVEMENTS

Due to the higher sensitivity in the detection of myeloma lesions WBCT and WBMRI should replace the skeletal survey.

PRACTICAL RECOMMENDATIONS

A WBCT should be performed if there is suspicion of multiple myeloma. If no focal lesions are found WBMRI or at least MRI of the spine and pelvis should be additionally performed if available. If WBMRI has been initially performed and focal lesions are present, an additional WBCT may be performed to assess the extent of bone destruction and fracture risk. In cases of monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS), solitary and smoldering myeloma, a WBMRI, if available, should be performed in addition to WBCT.

Imaging of multiple myeloma: Current concepts

Medical imaging is of crucial importance for diagnosis and initial staging as well as for differentiation of multiple myeloma (MM) from other monoclonal plasma cell diseases. Conventional radiography represents the reference standard for diagnosis of MM due to its wide availability and low costs despite its known limitations such as low sensitivity, limited specificity and its inability to detect extraosseous lesions. Besides conventional radiography, newer cross-sectional imaging modalities such as whole-body low-dose computed tomography (CT), whole-body magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and ¹⁸F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET)/CT are available for the diagnosis of osseous and extraosseous manifestations of MM. Whole-body low-dose CT is used increasingly, replacing conventional radiography at selected centers, due to its higher sensitivity for the detection of osseous lesions and its ability to diagnose extraosseous lesions. The highest sensitivity for both detection of bone marrow disease and extraosseous lesions can be achieved with whole-body MRI and ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT. According to current evidence, MRI is the most sensitive method for initial staging while ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT allows monitoring of treatment of MM. There is an evolving role for assessment of treatment response using newer MR imaging techniques. Future studies are needed to further define the exact role of the different imaging modalities for individual risk stratification and therapy monitoring.