Cancers (Jan 2023)
ITA-IMMUNO-PET: The Role of [18F]FDG PET/CT for Assessing Response to Immunotherapy in Patients with Some Solid Tumors
- Laura Evangelista,
- Andrea Bianchi,
- Alessio Annovazzi,
- Rosa Sciuto,
- Silvia Di Traglia,
- Matteo Bauckneht,
- Francesco Lanfranchi,
- Silvia Morbelli,
- Anna Giulia Nappi,
- Cristina Ferrari,
- Giuseppe Rubini,
- Stefano Panareo,
- Luca Urso,
- Mirco Bartolomei,
- Davide D’Arienzo,
- Tullio Valente,
- Virginia Rossetti,
- Paola Caroli,
- Federica Matteucci,
- Demetrio Aricò,
- Michelangelo Bombaci,
- Domenica Caponnetto,
- Francesco Bertagna,
- Domenico Albano,
- Francesco Dondi,
- Sara Gusella,
- Alessandro Spimpolo,
- Cinzia Carriere,
- Michele Balma,
- Ambra Buschiazzo,
- Rosj Gallicchio,
- Giovanni Storto,
- Livia Ruffini,
- Veronica Cervati,
- Roberta Eufrasia Ledda,
- Anna Rita Cervino,
- Lea Cuppari,
- Marta Burei,
- Giuseppe Trifirò,
- Elisabetta Brugola,
- Carolina Arianna Zanini,
- Alessandra Alessi,
- Valentina Fuoco,
- Ettore Seregni,
- Désirée Deandreis,
- Virginia Liberini,
- Antonino Maria Moreci,
- Salvatore Ialuna,
- Sabina Pulizzi,
- Maria Luisa De Rimini
Affiliations
- Laura Evangelista
- Nuclear Medicine Unit, Department of Medicine DIMED, University of Padua, 35129 Padua, Italy
- Andrea Bianchi
- Nuclear Medicine Unit, ASO S.Croce e Carle Cuneo, 12100 Cuneo, Italy
- Alessio Annovazzi
- Nuclear Medicine Unit, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, 00144 Rome, Italy
- Rosa Sciuto
- Nuclear Medicine Unit, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, 00144 Rome, Italy
- Silvia Di Traglia
- Nuclear Medicine Unit, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, 00144 Rome, Italy
- Matteo Bauckneht
- Department of Health Sciences (DISSAL), University of Genova, 16126 Genova, Italy
- Francesco Lanfranchi
- Department of Health Sciences (DISSAL), University of Genova, 16126 Genova, Italy
- Silvia Morbelli
- Department of Health Sciences (DISSAL), University of Genova, 16126 Genova, Italy
- Anna Giulia Nappi
- Section of Nuclear Medicine, Interdisciplinary Department of Medicine, University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, 70121 Bari, Italy
- Cristina Ferrari
- Section of Nuclear Medicine, Interdisciplinary Department of Medicine, University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, 70121 Bari, Italy
- Giuseppe Rubini
- Section of Nuclear Medicine, Interdisciplinary Department of Medicine, University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, 70121 Bari, Italy
- Stefano Panareo
- Nuclear Medicine Unit, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria di Modena, 41124 Modena, Italy
- Luca Urso
- Nuclear Medicine Unit, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
- Mirco Bartolomei
- Nuclear Medicine Unit, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
- Davide D’Arienzo
- Nuclear Medicine Unit, Dept Servizi Sanitari, AORN Ospedali dei Colli, 80131 Naples, Italy
- Tullio Valente
- Radiology Department, AORN Ospedali dei Colli, 80131 Naples, Italy
- Virginia Rossetti
- Nuclear Medicine Unit, IRCCS Istituto Romagnolo per lo Studio dei Tumori (IRST), 47014 Meldola, Italy
- Paola Caroli
- Nuclear Medicine Unit, IRCCS Istituto Romagnolo per lo Studio dei Tumori (IRST), 47014 Meldola, Italy
- Federica Matteucci
- Nuclear Medicine Unit, IRCCS Istituto Romagnolo per lo Studio dei Tumori (IRST), 47014 Meldola, Italy
- Demetrio Aricò
- Nuclear Medicine Unit, Humanitas Istituto Clinico Catanese, 95045 Misterbianco, Italy
- Michelangelo Bombaci
- Nuclear Medicine Unit, Humanitas Istituto Clinico Catanese, 95045 Misterbianco, Italy
- Domenica Caponnetto
- Nuclear Medicine Unit, Humanitas Istituto Clinico Catanese, 95045 Misterbianco, Italy
- Francesco Bertagna
- Nuclear Medicine Unit, University of Brescia, 25123 Brescia, Italy
- Domenico Albano
- Nuclear Medicine Unit, University of Brescia, 25123 Brescia, Italy
- Francesco Dondi
- Nuclear Medicine Unit, University of Brescia, 25123 Brescia, Italy
- Sara Gusella
- Nuclear Medicine Department, Central Hospital Bolzano (SABES-ASDAA), 39100 Bolzano-Bozen, Italy
- Alessandro Spimpolo
- Nuclear Medicine Department, Central Hospital Bolzano (SABES-ASDAA), 39100 Bolzano-Bozen, Italy
- Cinzia Carriere
- Dermatology Department, Central Hospital Bolzano (SABES-ASDAA), 39100 Bolzano-Bozen, Italy
- Michele Balma
- Nuclear Medicine Unit, ASO S.Croce e Carle Cuneo, 12100 Cuneo, Italy
- Ambra Buschiazzo
- Nuclear Medicine Unit, ASO S.Croce e Carle Cuneo, 12100 Cuneo, Italy
- Rosj Gallicchio
- Nuclear Medicine Unit, IRCCS CROB Referral Cancer Center of Basilicata, 85028 Rionero in Vulture, Italy
- Giovanni Storto
- Nuclear Medicine Unit, IRCCS CROB Referral Cancer Center of Basilicata, 85028 Rionero in Vulture, Italy
- Livia Ruffini
- Nuclear Medicine Division, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria of Parma, 43126 Parma, Italy
- Veronica Cervati
- Nuclear Medicine Division, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria of Parma, 43126 Parma, Italy
- Roberta Eufrasia Ledda
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, Unit of Radiological Sciences, University of Parma, 43126 Parma, Italy
- Anna Rita Cervino
- Nuclear Medicine Unit, Veneto Institute Of Oncology IOV—IRCSS, 35128 Padua, Italy
- Lea Cuppari
- Nuclear Medicine Unit, Veneto Institute Of Oncology IOV—IRCSS, 35128 Padua, Italy
- Marta Burei
- Nuclear Medicine Unit, Veneto Institute Of Oncology IOV—IRCSS, 35128 Padua, Italy
- Giuseppe Trifirò
- Nuclear Medicine Unit, ICS MAUGERI SPA SB—IRCCS, 35128 Padua, Italy
- Elisabetta Brugola
- Nuclear Medicine Unit, ICS MAUGERI SPA SB—IRCCS, 35128 Padua, Italy
- Carolina Arianna Zanini
- Nuclear Medicine Unit, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano Statale, 20133 Milan, Italy
- Alessandra Alessi
- Nuclear Medicine Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, 20133 Milan, Italy
- Valentina Fuoco
- Nuclear Medicine Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, 20133 Milan, Italy
- Ettore Seregni
- Nuclear Medicine Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, 20133 Milan, Italy
- Désirée Deandreis
- Nuclear Medicine Division, Department of Medical Sciences, University of Turin, 10124 Turin, Italy
- Virginia Liberini
- Nuclear Medicine Unit, ASO S.Croce e Carle Cuneo, 12100 Cuneo, Italy
- Antonino Maria Moreci
- Nuclear Medicine Unit, Az. Ospedaliera Ospedali Riuniti Villa Sofia-Cervello di Palermo, 90100 Palermo, Italy
- Salvatore Ialuna
- Nuclear Medicine Unit, Az. Ospedaliera Ospedali Riuniti Villa Sofia-Cervello di Palermo, 90100 Palermo, Italy
- Sabina Pulizzi
- Nuclear Medicine Unit, Az. Ospedaliera Ospedali Riuniti Villa Sofia-Cervello di Palermo, 90100 Palermo, Italy
- Maria Luisa De Rimini
- Nuclear Medicine Unit, Dept Servizi Sanitari, AORN Ospedali dei Colli, 80131 Naples, Italy
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers15030878
- Journal volume & issue
-
Vol. 15,
no. 3
p. 878
Abstract
AIM: To examine the role of [18F]FDG PET/CT for assessing response to immunotherapy in patients with some solid tumors. METHODS: Data recorded in a multicenter (n = 17), retrospective database between March and November 2021 were analyzed. The sample included patients with a confirmed diagnosis of a solid tumor who underwent serial [18F]FDG PET/CT (before and after one or more cycles of immunotherapy), who were >18 years of age, and had a follow-up of at least 12 months after their first PET/CT scan. Patients enrolled in clinical trials or without a confirmed diagnosis of cancer were excluded. The authors classified cases as having a complete or partial metabolic response to immunotherapy, or stable or progressive metabolic disease, based on a visual and semiquantitative analysis according to the EORTC criteria. Clinical response to immunotherapy was assessed at much the same time points as the serial PET scans, and both the obtained responses were compared. RESULTS: The study concerned 311 patients (median age: 67; range: 31–89 years) in all. The most common neoplasm was lung cancer (56.9%), followed by malignant melanoma (32.5%). Nivolumab was administered in 46.3%, and pembrolizumab in 40.5% of patients. Baseline PET and a first PET scan performed at a median 3 months after starting immunotherapy were available for all 311 patients, while subsequent PET scans were obtained after a median 6, 12, 16, and 21 months for 199 (64%), 102 (33%), 46 (15%), and 23 (7%) patients, respectively. Clinical response to therapy was recorded at around the same time points after starting immunotherapy for 252 (81%), 173 (56%), 85 (27%), 40 (13%), and 22 (7%) patients, respectively. After a median 18 (1–137) months, 113 (36.3%) patients had died. On Kaplan–Meier analysis, metabolic responders on the first two serial PET scans showed a better prognosis than non-responders, while clinical response became prognostically informative from the second assessment after starting immunotherapy onwards. CONCLUSIONS: [18F]FDG PET/CT could have a role in the assessment of response to immunotherapy in patients with some solid tumors. It can provide prognostic information and thus contribute to a patient’s appropriate treatment. Prospective randomized controlled trials are mandatory.
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