@article{KosmalaSerflingDreheretal.2022, author = {Kosmala, Aleksander and Serfling, Sebastian E. and Dreher, Niklas and Lindner, Thomas and Schirbel, Andreas and Lapa, Constantin and Higuchi, Takahiro and Buck, Andreas K. and Weich, Alexander and Werner, Rudolf A.}, title = {Associations between normal organs and tumor burden in patients imaged with fibroblast activation protein inhibitor-directed positron emission tomography}, series = {Cancers}, volume = {14}, journal = {Cancers}, number = {11}, issn = {2072-6694}, doi = {10.3390/cancers14112609}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-275154}, year = {2022}, abstract = {(1) Background: We aimed to quantitatively investigate [\(^{68}\)Ga]Ga-FAPI-04 uptake in normal organs and to assess a relationship with the extent of FAPI-avid tumor burden. (2) Methods: In this single-center retrospective analysis, thirty-four patients with solid cancers underwent a total of 40 [\(^{68}\)Ga]Ga-FAPI-04 PET/CT scans. Mean standardized uptake values (SUV\(_{mean}\)) for normal organs were established by placing volumes of interest (VOIs) in the heart, liver, spleen, pancreas, kidneys, and bone marrow. Total tumor burden was determined by manual segmentation of tumor lesions with increased uptake. For tumor burden, quantitative assessment included maximum SUV (SUV\(_{max}\)), tumor volume (TV), and fractional tumor activity (FTA = TV × SUV\(_{mean}\)). Associations between uptake in normal organs and tumor burden were investigated by applying Spearman's rank correlation coefficient. (3) Results: Median SUV\(_{mean}\) values were 2.15 in the pancreas (range, 1.05-9.91), 1.42 in the right (range, 0.57-3.06) and 1.41 in the left kidney (range, 0.73-2.97), 1.2 in the heart (range, 0.46-2.59), 0.86 in the spleen (range, 0.55-1.58), 0.65 in the liver (range, 0.31-2.11), and 0.57 in the bone marrow (range, 0.26-0.94). We observed a trend towards significance for uptake in the myocardium and tumor-derived SUV\(_{max}\) (ρ = 0.29, p = 0.07) and TV (ρ = -0.30, p = 0.06). No significant correlation was achieved for any of the other organs: SUV\(_{max}\) (ρ ≤ 0.1, p ≥ 0.42), TV (ρ ≤ 0.11, p ≥ 0.43), and FTA (ρ ≤ 0.14, p ≥ 0.38). In a sub-analysis exclusively investigating patients with high tumor burden, significant correlations of myocardial uptake with tumor SUV\(_{max}\) (ρ = 0.44; p = 0.03) and tumor-derived FTA with liver uptake (ρ = 0.47; p = 0.02) were recorded. (4) Conclusions: In this proof-of-concept study, quantification of [\(^{68}\)Ga]Ga-FAPI-04 PET showed no significant correlation between normal organs and tumor burden, except for a trend in the myocardium. Those preliminary findings may trigger future studies to determine possible implications for treatment with radioactive FAP-targeted drugs, as higher tumor load or uptake may not lead to decreased doses in the majority of normal organs.}, language = {en} } @article{HartrampfWeinzierlSeitzetal.2022, author = {Hartrampf, Philipp E. and Weinzierl, Franz-Xaver and Seitz, Anna Katharina and K{\"u}bler, Hubert and Essler, Markus and Buck, Andreas K. and Werner, Rudolf A. and Bundschuh, Ralph A.}, title = {Any decline in prostate-specific antigen levels identifies survivors scheduled for prostate-specific membrane antigen-directed radioligand therapy}, series = {The Prostate}, volume = {82}, journal = {The Prostate}, number = {14}, doi = {10.1002/pros.24414}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-318766}, pages = {1406 -- 1412}, year = {2022}, abstract = {Background Prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA)-targeted radioligand therapy (RLT) is increasingly incorporated in the therapeutic algorithm of patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). We aimed to elucidate the predictive performance of early biochemical response for overall survival (OS). Materials and Methods In this bicentric analysis, we included 184 mCRPC patients treated with \(^{177}\)Lu-PSMA RLT. Response to treatment was defined as decrease in prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels 8 weeks after the first cycle of RLT (any decline or >50\% according to Prostate Cancer Working Group 3). OS of responders and nonresponders was then compared using Kaplan-Meier curves and log-rank comparison. Results A total of 114/184 patients (62.0\%) showed any PSA decline (PSA response >50\%, 55/184 [29.9\%]). For individuals exhibiting a PSA decline >50\%, OS of 19 months was significantly longer relative to nonresponders (13 months; hazard ratio of death [HR] = 0.64, 95\% confidence interval [95\% CI] = 0.44-0.93; p = 0.02). However, the difference was even more pronounced for any PSA decline, with an OS of 19 months in responders, but only 8 months in nonresponders (HR = 0.39, 95\% CI = 0.25-0.60; p < 0.001). Conclusions In mCRPC patients scheduled for RLT, early biochemical response was tightly linked to prolonged survival, irrespective of the magnitude of PSA decline. As such, even in patients with PSA decrease of less than 50\%, RLT should be continued.}, language = {en} } @article{BuckSerflingLindneretal.2022, author = {Buck, Andreas K. and Serfling, Sebastian E. and Lindner, Thomas and H{\"a}nscheid, Heribert and Schirbel, Andreas and Hahner, Stefanie and Fassnacht, Martin and Einsele, Hermann and Werner, Rudolf A.}, title = {CXCR4-targeted theranostics in oncology}, series = {European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging}, volume = {49}, journal = {European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging}, number = {12}, doi = {10.1007/s00259-022-05849-y}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-324545}, pages = {4133-4144}, year = {2022}, abstract = {A growing body of literature reports on the upregulation of C-X-C motif chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4) in a variety of cancer entities, rendering this receptor as suitable target for molecular imaging and endoradiotherapy in a theranostic setting. For instance, the CXCR4-targeting positron emission tomography (PET) agent [\(^{68}\)Ga]PentixaFor has been proven useful for a comprehensive assessment of the current status quo of solid tumors, including adrenocortical carcinoma or small-cell lung cancer. In addition, [\(^{68}\)Ga]PentixaFor has also provided an excellent readout for hematological malignancies, such as multiple myeloma, marginal zone lymphoma, or mantle cell lymphoma. PET-based quantification of the CXCR4 capacities in vivo allows for selecting candidates that would be suitable for treatment using the theranostic equivalent [\(^{177}\)Lu]/[\(^{90}\)Y]PentixaTher. This CXCR4-directed theranostic concept has been used as a conditioning regimen prior to hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and to achieve sufficient anti-lymphoma/-tumor activity in particular for malignant tissues that are highly sensitive to radiation, such as the hematological system. Increasing the safety margin, pretherapeutic dosimetry is routinely performed to determine the optimal activity to enhance therapeutic efficacy and to reduce off-target adverse events. The present review will provide an overview of current applications for CXCR4-directed molecular imaging and will introduce the CXCR4-targeted theranostic concept for advanced hematological malignancies.}, language = {en} }