Pre-therapy PET-based voxel-wise dosimetry prediction by characterizing intra-organ heterogeneity in PSMA-directed radiopharmaceutical theranostics.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Treatment planning through the diagnostic dimension of theranostics provides insights into predicting the absorbed dose of RPT, with the potential to individualize radiation doses for enhancing treatment efficacy. However, existing studies focusing on dose prediction from diagnostic data often rely on organ-level estimations, overlooking intra-organ variations. This study aims to characterize the intra-organ theranostic heterogeneity and utilize artificial intelligence techniques to localize them, i.e. to predict voxel-wise absorbed dose map based on pre-therapy PET. METHODS: 23 patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer treated with [177Lu]Lu-PSMA I&T RPT were retrospectively included. 48 treatment cycles with pre-treatment PET imaging and at least 3 post-therapeutic SPECT/CT imaging were selected. The distribution of PET tracer and RPT dose was compared for kidney, liver and spleen, characterizing intra-organ heterogeneity differences. Pharmacokinetic simulations were performed to enhance the understanding of the correlation. Two strategies were explored for pre-therapy voxel-wise dosimetry prediction: (1) organ-dose guided direct projection; (2) deep learning (DL)-based distribution prediction. Physical metrics, dose volume histogram (DVH) analysis, and identity plots were applied to investigate the predicted absorbed dose map. RESULTS: Inconsistent intra-organ patterns emerged between PET imaging and dose map, with moderate correlations existing in the kidney (r = 0.77), liver (r = 0.5), and spleen (r = 0.58) (P < 0.025). Simulation results indicated the intra-organ pharmacokinetic heterogeneity might explain this inconsistency. The DL-based method achieved a lower average voxel-wise normalized root mean squared error of 0.79 ± 0.27%, regarding to ground-truth dose map, outperforming the organ-dose guided projection (1.11 ± 0.57%) (P < 0.05). DVH analysis demonstrated good prediction accuracy (R2 = 0.92 for kidney). The DL model improved the mean slope of fitting lines in identity plots (199% for liver), when compared to the theoretical optimal results of the organ-dose approach. CONCLUSION: Our results demonstrated the intra-organ heterogeneity of pharmacokinetics may complicate pre-therapy dosimetry prediction. DL has the potential to bridge this gap for pre-therapy prediction of voxel-wise heterogeneous dose map.

PSMA-Targeted Radiopharmaceuticals for Prostate Cancer Diagnosis and Therapy.

ABSTRACT: Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most common noncutaneous malignancy in men. Until recent years, accurate imaging of men with newly diagnosed PCa, or recurrent or low-volume metastatic disease, was limited. Further, therapeutic options for men with advanced, metastatic, castration-resistant disease were increasingly limited as a result of increasing numbers of systemic therapies being combined in the upfront metastatic setting. The advent of urea-based, small-molecule inhibitors of prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) has partially addressed those shortcomings in diagnosis and therapy of PCa. On the diagnostic side, there are multiple pivotal phase III trials with several different agents having demonstrated utility in the initial staging setting, with generally modest sensitivity but very high specificity for determining otherwise-occult pelvic nodal involvement. That latter statistic drives the utility of the scan by allowing imaging interpreters to read with very high sensitivity while maintaining a robust specificity. Other pivotal phase III trials have demonstrated high detection efficiency in patients with biochemical failure, with high positive predictive value at the lesion level, opening up possible new avenues of therapy such as metastasis-directed therapy. Beyond the diagnostic aspects of PSMA-targeted radiotracers, the same urea-based chemical scaffolds can be altered to deliver therapeutic isotopes to PCa cells that express PSMA. To date, one such agent, when combined with best standard-of-care therapy, has demonstrated an ability to improve overall survival, progression-free survival, and freedom from skeletal events relative to best standard-of-care therapy alone in men with metastatic, castration-resistant PCa who are post chemotherapy. Within the current milieu, there are a number of important future directions including the use of artificial intelligence to better leverage diagnostic findings, further medicinal chemistry refinements to the urea-based structure that may allow improved tumor targeting and decreased toxicities, and the incorporation of new radionuclides that may better balance efficacy with toxicities than those nuclides that are available.

Prostate-specific Membrane Antigen: Interpretation Criteria, Standardized Reporting, and the Use of Machine Learning.

Prostate-specific membrane antigen targeting positron emission tomography (PSMA-PET) is routinely used for the staging and restaging of patients with various stages of prostate cancer. For clear communication with referring physicians and to improve inter-reader agreement, the use of standardized reporting templates is mandatory. Increasingly, tumor volume is used by reporting and response assessment frameworks to prognosticate patient outcome or measure response to therapy. However, the quantification of tumor volume is often too time-consuming in routine clinical practice. Machine learning-based tools can facilitate the quantification of tumor volume for improved outcome prognostication.

An Automated Deep Learning-Based Framework for Uptake Segmentation and Classification on PSMA PET/CT Imaging of Patients with Prostate Cancer.

Uptake segmentation and classification on PSMA PET/CT are important for automating whole-body tumor burden determinations. We developed and evaluated an automated deep learning (DL)-based framework that segments and classifies uptake on PSMA PET/CT. We identified 193 [18F] DCFPyL PET/CT scans of patients with biochemically recurrent prostate cancer from two institutions, including 137 [18F] DCFPyL PET/CT scans for training and internally testing, and 56 scans from another institution for external testing. Two radiologists segmented and labelled foci as suspicious or non-suspicious for malignancy. A DL-based segmentation was developed with two independent CNNs. An anatomical prior guidance was applied to make the DL framework focus on PSMA-avid lesions. Segmentation performance was evaluated by Dice, IoU, precision, and recall. Classification model was constructed with multi-modal decision fusion framework evaluated by accuracy, AUC, F1 score, precision, and recall. Automatic segmentation of suspicious lesions was improved under prior guidance, with mean Dice, IoU, precision, and recall of 0.700, 0.566, 0.809, and 0.660 on the internal test set and 0.680, 0.548, 0.749, and 0.740 on the external test set. Our multi-modal decision fusion framework outperformed single-modal and multi-modal CNNs with accuracy, AUC, F1 score, precision, and recall of 0.764, 0.863, 0.844, 0.841, and 0.847 in distinguishing suspicious and non-suspicious foci on the internal test set and 0.796, 0.851, 0.865, 0.814, and 0.923 on the external test set. DL-based lesion segmentation on PSMA PET is facilitated through our anatomical prior guidance strategy. Our classification framework differentiates suspicious foci from those not suspicious for cancer with good accuracy.

RECIP 1.0 Predicts Progression-Free Survival After [177Lu]Lu-PSMA Radiopharmaceutical Therapy in Patients with Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer.

Response Evaluation Criteria in Prostate-Specific Membrane Antigen Imaging (RECIP) 1.0 is an evidence-based framework to evaluate therapeutic efficacy in metastatic prostate cancer using prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) PET/CT. This study aimed to evaluate the associations of interim PSMA PET/CT by RECIP 1.0 with short-term outcome after radiopharmaceutical treatment. Methods: This multicenter retrospective study included patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer who underwent [177Lu]Lu-PSMA radiopharmaceutical therapy at 3 academic centers and received PSMA PET/CT at baseline and at 12 wk. Pairs of PSMA PET/CT images were assessed by 5 readers for visual RECIP 1.0. The primary outcome was the association of RECIP with prostate-specific antigen progression-free survival (PSA-PFS) by Kaplan-Meier analysis. Results: In total, 124 of 287 screened patients met the inclusion criteria, with 0 (0%), 29 (23%), 54 (44%), and 41 (33%) of those 124 patients having complete response, partial response, stable disease, or progressive disease (PD) by visual RECIP 1.0, respectively. Patients with visual RECIP PD had a significantly shorter PSA-PFS than those with RECIP stable disease or with RECIP partial response (2.6 vs. 6.4 vs. 8.4 mo; P < 0.001). The median PSA-PFS among patients with RECIP PD versus those with non-RECIP PD was 2.6 versus 7.2 mo (hazard ratio, 13.0; 95% CI, 7.0-24.1; P < 0.001). Conclusion: PSMA PET/CT by RECIP 1.0 after 2 cycles of [177Lu]Lu-PSMA is prognostic for PSA-PFS. PSMA PET/CT by RECIP 1.0 may be used in earlier stages of prostate cancer to evaluate drug efficacy and to predict progression-free survival.

Treatment Response Imaging in Prostate Cancer.

Objective criteria for measuring treatment response in prostate cancer are critical to clinical research and practice. The Prostate Cancer Working Group 3 criteria are widely accepted relying only on conventional imaging for radiographic treatment response. Prostate-specific membrane antigen PET/computed tomography was proven to be superior to conventional imaging in initial diagnosis and biochemical recurrence of prostate cancer. Moreover, there is growing evidence of its role in treatment response assessment in prostate cancer. This study will review the different criteria for imaging treatment response on conventional and advanced molecular imaging for different therapies, and the future perspective in posttherapy imaging.

Validation of Prognostic and Predictive Models for Therapeutic Response in Patients Treated with [177Lu]Lu-PSMA-617 Versus Cabazitaxel for Metastatic Castration-resistant Prostate Cancer (TheraP): A Post Hoc Analysis from a Randomised, Open-label, Phase 2 Trial.

BACKGROUND: Prognostic models have been developed using data from a multicentre noncomparative study to forecast the likelihood of a 50% reduction in prostate-specific antigen (PSA50), longer prostate-specific antigen (PSA) progression-free survival (PFS), and longer overall survival (OS) in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer receiving [177Lu]Lu-PSMA radioligand therapy. The predictive utility of the models to identify patients likely to benefit most from [177Lu]Lu-PSMA compared with standard chemotherapy has not been established. OBJECTIVE: To determine the predictive value of the models using data from the randomised, open-label, phase 2, TheraP trial (primary objective) and to evaluate the clinical net benefit of the PSA50 model (secondary objective). DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: All 200 patients were randomised in the TheraP trial to receive [177Lu]Lu-PSMA-617 (n = 99) or cabazitaxel (n = 101) between February 2018 and September 2019. OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS AND STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Predictive performance was investigated by testing whether the association between the modelled outcome classifications (favourable vs unfavourable outcome) was different for patients randomised to [177Lu]Lu-PSMA versus cabazitaxel. The clinical benefit of the PSA50 model was evaluated using a decision curve analysis. RESULTS AND LIMITATIONS: The probability of PSA50 in patients classified as having a favourable outcome was greater in the [177Lu]Lu-PSMA-617 group than in the cabazitaxel group (odds ratio 6.36 [95% confidence interval {CI} 1.69-30.80] vs 0.96 [95% CI 0.32-3.05]; p = 0.038 for treatment-by-model interaction). The PSA50 rate in patients with a favourable outcome for [177Lu]Lu-PSMA-617 versus cabazitaxel was 62/88 (70%) versus 31/85 (36%). The decision curve analysis indicated that the use of the PSA50 model had a clinical net benefit when the probability of a PSA response was ≥30%. The predictive performance of the models for PSA PFS and OS was not established (treatment-by-model interaction: p = 0.36 and p = 0.41, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: A previously developed outcome classification model for PSA50 was demonstrated to be both predictive and prognostic for the outcome after [177Lu]Lu-PSMA-617 versus cabazitaxel, while the PSA PFS and OS models had purely prognostic value. The models may aid clinicians in defining strategies for patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer who failed first-line chemotherapy and are eligible for [177Lu]Lu-PSMA-617 and cabazitaxel. PATIENT SUMMARY: In this report, we validated previously developed statistical models that can predict a response to Lu-PSMA radioligand therapy in patients with advanced prostate cancer. We found that the statistical models can predict patient survival, and aid in determining whether Lu-PSMA therapy or cabazitaxel yields a higher probability to achieve a serum prostate-specific antigen response.

Prognostic Performance of RECIP 1.0 Based on [18F]PSMA-1007 PET in Prostate Cancer Patients Treated with [177Lu]Lu-PSMA I&T.

In metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) patients treated with prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA)-targeted radioligand therapy (RLT), the recently proposed criteria for evaluating response to PSMA PET (RECIP 1.0) based on 68Ga- and 18F-labeled PET agents provided prognostic information in addition to changes in prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels. Our aim was to evaluate the prognostic performance of this framework for overall survival (OS) in patients undergoing RLT and imaged with [18F]PSMA-1007 PET/CT and compare the prognostic performance with the PSA-based response assessment. Methods: In total, 73 patients with mCRPC who were scanned with [18F]PSMA-1007 PET/CT before and after 2 cycles of RLT were retrospectively analyzed. We calculated the changes in serum PSA levels (ΔPSA) and quantitative PET parameters for the whole-body tumor burden (SUVmean, SUVmax, PSMA tumor volume, and total lesion PSMA). Men were also classified following the Prostate Cancer Working Group 3 (PCWG3) criteria for ΔPSA and RECIP 1.0 for PET imaging response. We performed univariable Cox regression analysis, followed by multivariable and Kaplan-Meier analyses. Results: Median OS was 15 mo with a median follow-up time of 14 mo. Univariable Cox regression analysis provided significant associations with OS for ΔPSA (per percentage, hazard ratio [HR], 1.004; 95% CI, 1.002-1.007; P < 0.001) and PSMA tumor volume (per unit, HR, 1.003; 95% CI, 1.000-1.005; P = 0.03). Multivariable Cox regression analysis confirmed ΔPSA (per percentage, HR, 1.004; 95% CI, 1.001-1.006; P = 0.006) as an independent prognosticator for OS. Kaplan-Meier analyses provided significant segregation between individuals with versus those without any PSA response (19 mo vs. 14 mo; HR, 2.00; 95% CI, 0.95-4.18; P = 0.04). Differentiation between patients with or without progressive disease (PD) was also feasible when applying PSA-based PCWG3 (19 mo vs. 9 mo for non-PD and PD, respectively; HR, 2.29; 95% CI, 1.03-5.09; P = 0.01) but slightly failed when applying RECIP 1.0 (P = 0.08). A combination of both response systems (PCWG3 and RECIP 1.0), however, yielded the best discrimination between individuals without versus those with PD (19 mo vs. 8 mo; HR, 2.78; 95% CI, 1.32-5.86; P = 0.002). Conclusion: In patients with mCRPC treated with RLT and imaged with [18F]PSMA-1007, frameworks integrating both the biochemical (PCWG3) and PET-based response (RECIP 1.0) may best assist in identifying subjects prone to disease progression.

Differences and Common Ground in 177Lu-PSMA Radioligand Therapy Practice Patterns: International Survey of 95 Theranostic Centers.

177Lu-labeled prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) radioligand therapy effectively treats metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. Patients requiring treatment, and consequently the number of theranostic centers, are expected to increase significantly after Food and Drug Administration and European Medicines Agency approval. This requires standardization or harmonization among theranostic centers. The aim of this study was to assess operational differences and similarities among 177Lu-PSMA treatment centers. Methods: A questionnaire comprising 62 items, designed by a core team of 5 physicians and externally reviewed by international experts, was developed. Study participants were asked to provide answers about their center, patient selection, radiopharmaceuticals, clinical assessment before and after 177Lu-PSMA treatments, laboratory values, treatment discontinuation, posttreatment imaging, and general information. An invitation e-mail to participate in the study was sent in June 2022. Duplicates were removed to allow for only one valid response per center. Results: Ninety-five of 211 (45%) contacted centers completed the questionnaire. Most participating centers were in Europe (51%), followed by America (22%) and Asia (22%). During the 12 mo before this study, a total of 5,906 patients received 177Lu-PSMA therapy at the 95 participating centers. Most of these patients were treated in Europe (2,840/5,906; 48%), followed by Asia (1,313/5,906; 22%) and Oceania (1,225/5,906; 21%). PSMA PET eligibility for 177Lu-PSMA was determined most frequently using 68Ga-PSMA-11 (77%). Additional pretherapy imaging included 18F-FDG PET/CT, CT, renal scintigraphy, and bone scintigraphy at 41 (49%), 27 (32%), 25 (30%), and 13 (15%), respectively, of the 84 centers for clinical standard of care, compassionate care, or local research protocols and 11 (26%), 25 (60%), 9 (21%), and 28 (67%), respectively, of the 42 centers for industry-sponsored trials. PSMA PET eligibility criteria included subjective qualitative assessment of PSMA positivity at 33% of centers, VISION criteria at 23%, and TheraP criteria at 13%. The mean standard injected activity per cycle was 7.3 GBq (range, 5.5-11.1 GBq). Sixty-two (65%) centers applied standardized response assessment criteria, and PSMA PET Progression Criteria were the most applied (37%). Conclusion: Results from this international survey revealed interinstitutional differences in several aspects of 177Lu-PSMA radionuclide therapy, including patient selection, administered activity, and the response assessment strategy. Standardization or harmonization of protocols and dedicated training are desirable in anticipation of increasing numbers of patients and theranostic centers.

Comparison of Multiple Segmentation Methods for Volumetric Delineation of Primary Prostate Cancer with Prostate-Specific Membrane Antigen-Targeted 18F-DCFPyL PET/CT.

This study aimed to assess the accuracy of intraprostatic tumor volume measurements on prostate-specific membrane antigen-targeted 18F-DCFPyL PET/CT made with various segmentation methods. An accurate understanding of tumor volumes versus segmentation techniques is critical for therapy planning, such as radiation dose volume determination and response assessment. Methods: Twenty-five men with clinically localized, high-risk prostate cancer were imaged with 18F-DCFPyL PET/CT before radical prostatectomy. The tumor volumes and tumor-to-prostate ratios (TPRs) of dominant intraprostatic foci of uptake were determined using semiautomatic segmentation (applying SUVmax percentage [SUV%] thresholds of SUV30%-SUV70%), adaptive segmentation (using adaptive segmentation percentage [A%] thresholds of A30%-A70%), and manual contouring. The histopathologic tumor volume (TV-Histo) served as the reference standard. The significance of differences between TV-Histo and PET-based tumor volume were assessed using the paired-sample Wilcoxon signed-rank test. The Spearman correlation coefficient was used to establish the strength of the association between TV-Histo and PET-derived tumor volume. Results: Median TV-Histo was 2.03 cm3 (interquartile ratio [IQR], 1.16-3.36 cm3), and median TPR was 10.16%. The adaptive method with an A40% threshold most closely determined the tumor volume, with a median difference of +0.19 (IQR, -0.71 to +2.01) and a median relative difference of +7.6%. The paired-sample Wilcoxon test showed no significant difference in PET-derived tumor volume and TV-Histo using A40%, A50%, SUV40%, and SUV50% threshold segmentation algorithms (P > 0.05). For both threshold-based segmentation methods, use of higher thresholds (e.g., SUV60% or SUV70% and A50%-A70%) resulted in underestimation of tumor volumes, and use of lower thresholds (e.g., SUV30% or SUV40% and A30%) resulted in overestimation of tumor volumes relative to TV-Histo and TPR. Manual segmentation overestimated the tumor volume, with a median difference of +2.49 (IQR, 0.42-4.11) and a median relative difference of +130%. Conclusion: Segmentation of intraprostatic tumor volume and TPR with an adaptive segmentation approach most closely approximates TV-Histo. This information might be used to guide the primary treatment of men with clinically localized, high-risk prostate cancer.

A Practical Guide to the Pearls and Pitfalls of PSMA PET Imaging.

Prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA)-targeted PET agents have revolutionized the care of patients with prostate cancer, supplanting traditional methods of imaging prostate cancer, and improving the selection and delivery of therapies. This has led to a rapid expansion in both the number of PSMA PET scans performed and the imaging specialists required to interpret those scans. To aid those imagers and clinicians who are new to the interpretation of PSMA PET, this review provides an overview of the interpretation of PSMA PET/CT imaging and pearls for overcoming commonly encountered pitfalls. We discuss the physiologic distribution of the clinically available PSMA-targeted radiotracers, the commonly encountered patterns of prostate cancer spread, as well as the benign and malignant mimics of prostate cancer. Additionally, we review the standardized PSMA PET reporting systems and the role of PSMA in selecting appropriate patients for PSMA-targeted therapies.

Comparative Analysis of Morphological and Functional Effects of 225Ac- and 177Lu-PSMA Radioligand Therapies (RLTs) on Salivary Glands.

Most Prostate Specific Membrane Antigens (PSMAs) targeting small molecules accumulate in the salivary glands (SGs), raising concerns about SG toxicity, especially after repeated therapies or therapy with 225Ac-labeled ligands. SG toxicity is assessed clinically by the severity of patient-reported xerostomia, but this parameter can be challenging to objectively quantify. Therefore, we explored the feasibility of using SG volume as a biomarker for toxicity. In 21 patients with late-stage metastatic resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC), the PSMA volume and ligand uptake of SG were analyzed retrospectively before and after two cycles of 177Lu-PSMA (LuPSMA; cohort A) and before and after one cycle of 225Ac-PSMA-617 (AcPSMA, cohort B). Mean Volume-SG in cohort A was 59 ± 13 vs. 54 ± 16 mL (-10%, p = 0.4), and in cohort B, it was 50 ± 13 vs. 40 ± 11 mL (-20%, p = 0.007), respectively. A statistically significant decrease in the activity concentration in the SG was only observed in group B (SUVmean: 9.2 ± 2.8 vs. 5.3 ± 1.8, p < 0.0001; vs. A: SUVmean: 11.2 ± 3.3 vs. 11.1 ± 3.5, p = 0.8). SG volume and PSMA-ligand uptake are promising markers to monitor the SG toxicity after a PSMA RLT.

Associations of quantitative whole-body PSMA-PET metrics with PSA progression status under long-term androgen deprivation therapy in prostate cancer patients: a retrospective single-center study.

PURPOSE: To evaluate whether quantitative whole-body (WB) PSMA-PET metrics under long-term androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) and/or androgen receptor signaling inhibitors (ARSi) are associated with PSA progression. METHODS: Patients who underwent at least 2 68Ga-PSMA-11 PET/CT scans between October 2016 and April 2021 (n = 372) and started a new line of ADT ± ARSi between PET1 and PET2 were retrospectively screened for inclusion. We investigated the association between PCWG3-defined PSA progression status at PET2 and the following PSMA-PET parameters: appearance of new lesions on PET2, ≥ 20% increase in WB-PSMA tumor volume (WB-PSMA-VOL), progression of disease (PD) by RECIP 1.0, and ≥ 30% increase in WB-PSMA-SUVmean from PET1 to PET2. Spearman's rank correlation coefficients and Fisher's exact test were used to evaluate the associations. RESULTS: Thirty-five patients were included: 12/35 (34%) were treated with ADT only and 23/35 (66%) with ARSi ± ADT. The median time between PET1 and PET2 was 539 days. Changes (%) in median PSA levels, WB-PSMA-SUVmean, and WB-PSMA-VOL from PET1 to PET2 were -86%, -23%, and -86%, respectively. WB-PSMA-VOL ≥ 20%, new lesions, RECIP-PD, and WB-PSMA-SUVmean ≥ 30% were observed in 5/35 (14%), 9/35 (26%), 5/35 (14%), and 4/35 (11%) of the whole cohort, in 3/9 (33%), 7/9 (78%), 3/9 (33%), and 2/9 (22%) of patients with PSA progression at PET2, and in 2/26 (8%), 2/26 (8%), 2/26 (8%), and 2/26 (8%) of patients without PSA progression at PET2 (p = 0.058, p < 0.001, p = 0.058, p = 0.238, respectively). Changes in PSA were correlated to percent changes in WB-PSMA-VOL and WB-PSMA-SUVmean (Spearman ρ: 0.765 and 0.633, respectively; p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Changes in PSA correlated with changes observed on PSMA-PET, although discordance between PSA and PSMA-PET changes was observed. Further research is necessary to evaluate if PSMA-PET parameters can predict progression-free survival and overall survival and serve as novel endpoints in clinical trials.

Effects of novel androgen receptor signaling inhibitors on PSMA PET signal intensity in patients with castrate-resistant prostate cancer: a prospective exploratory serial imaging study.

BACKGROUND: PSMA expression is influenced by hormonal status. We evaluated changes in PSA and whole-body 68Ga-PSMA-11 PET/CT (WB-PSMA PET) after initiation of androgen receptor signaling inhibitors (ARSi). METHODS: Prospectively enrolled patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) initiating ARSi underwent serial PSA measurements and WB-PSMA PET at baseline, 1-week, and 3-months post-ARSi. We correlated WB-PSMA PET metrics and PSA kinetics after ARSi to 1-year clinical outcome. RESULTS: Due to low enrollment rate, the study was closed before reaching the recruitment goal of 30 patients. Nine patients were enrolled. At 1-year, unfavorable outcome was documented in 6/9 (66%) patients. Nine/9 patients completed PSMA PET at 1-week, 5/9 at 3-months. Changes in PSA, PSMA-VOL, SUVmean and SUVmax were - 12%, + 5%, + 3%, and + 10% at 1-week, - 42%, - 16%, - 15% and - 17% at 3-months, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Our prospective trial involving 9 mCRPC patients initiating ARSi did not show significant modulation of PSMA expression measured on WB-PSMA PET at 1-week. This study was registered on clinicaltrials.gov (NCT04279561).

Prognostic Value of End-of-Treatment PSMA PET/CT in Patients Treated with 177Lu-PSMA Radioligand Therapy: A Retrospective, Single-Center Analysis.

Our objective was to evaluate the prognostic value of end-of-treatment prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) PET/CT (PSMA-PET) in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) treated with 177Lu-PSMA radioligand therapy (PSMA-RLT). Methods: This was a single-center retrospective study. mCRPC patients who underwent PSMA-RLT with available baseline PSMA-PET (bPET) and end-of-treatment PSMA-PET (ePET) within 6 mo of the last PSMA-RLT cycle were eligible. Overall survival (OS) and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) progression status at the time of ePET (by Prostate Cancer Clinical Trials Working Group 3 criteria) were collected. PSMA-PET tumor segmentation was performed to obtain whole-body PSMA tumor volume (PSMA-VOL) and define progressive (≥20% increase) versus nonprogressive disease. Pairs of bPET and ePET were interpreted for appearance of new lesions. Response Evaluation Criteria in PSMA-PET/CT (RECIP) 1.0 were also applied to define progressive versus nonprogressive disease. The associations between changes in PSMA-VOL, new lesions, RECIP 1.0, and PSA progression status at the time of ePET with OS were evaluated by Kaplan-Meier analysis. Results: Twenty mCRPC patients were included. The median number of treatment cycles was 3.5 (interquartile range [IQR], 2-4). The median time between bPET and cycle 1 of PSMA-RLT was 1.0 mo (IQR, 0.7-1.8 mo). The median time between the last cycle of PSMA-RLT and ePET was 1.9 mo (IQR, 1.2-3.5 mo). Twelve of 20 patients (60%) had died at the last follow-up. The median follow-up time from ePET for survivors was 31.2 mo (IQR, 6.8-40.7 mo). The median OS from ePET was 11.4 mo (IQR, 6.8-30.7 mo). Patients with new lesions on ePET had shorter OS than those without new lesions (median OS, 10.7 mo [95% CI, 9.2-12.2] vs. not reached; P = 0.002). Patients with progressive PSMA-VOL had shorter OS than those with nonprogressive PSMA-VOL (median OS, 10.7 mo [95% CI: 9.7-11.7 mo] vs. not reached; P = 0.007). Patients with progressive RECIP had shorter OS than those with nonprogressive RECIP (median OS, 10.7 mo [95% CI, 9.7-11.7 mo] vs. not reached; P = 0.007). PSA progression at the time of ePET was associated with shorter OS (median, 10.9 mo [95% CI, 9.4-12.4 mo] vs. not reached; P = 0.028). Conclusion: In this retrospective study of 20 mCRPC patients treated with PSMA-RLT, progression on ePET by the appearance of new lesions, changes in PSMA-VOL, and RECIP 1.0 was prognostic for OS. Validation in larger, prospective multicentric clinical trials is warranted.

Prostate-specific Membrane Antigen Reporting and Data System Version 2.0.

Prostate-specific Membrane Antigen Reporting and Data System (PSMA-RADS) was introduced for standardized reporting, and PSMA-RADS version 1.0 allows classification of lesions based on their likelihood of representing a site of prostate cancer on PSMA-targeted positron emission tomography (PET). In recent years, this system has extensively been investigated. Increasing evidence has accumulated that the different categories reflect their actual meanings, such as true positivity in PSMA-RADS 4 and 5 lesions. Interobserver agreement studies demonstrated high concordance among a broad spectrum of 68Ga- or 18F-labeled, PSMA-directed radiotracers, even for less experienced readers. Moreover, this system has also been applied to challenging clinical scenarios and to assist in clinical decision-making, for example, to avoid overtreatment in oligometastatic disease. Nonetheless, with an increasing use of PSMA-RADS 1.0, this framework has shown not only benefits, but also limitations, for example, for follow-up assessment of locally treated lesions. Thus, we aimed to update the PSMA-RADS framework to include a refined set of categories in order to optimize lesion-level characterization and best assist in clinical decision-making (PSMA-RADS version 2.0).

Presurgical 68Ga-PSMA-11 Positron Emission Tomography for Biochemical Recurrence Risk Assessment: A Follow-up Analysis of a Multicenter Prospective Phase 3 Imaging Trial.

BACKGROUND: In the initial staging of patients with high-risk prostate cancer (PCa), prostate-specific membrane antigen positron emission tomography (PSMA-PET) has been established as a front-line imaging modality. The increasing number of PSMA-PET scans performed in the primary staging setting might be associated with decreases in biochemical recurrence (BCR)-free survival (BCR-FS). OBJECTIVE: To assess the added prognostic value of presurgical PSMA-PET for BCR-FS compared with the presurgical Cancer of the Prostate Risk Assessment (CAPRA) and postsurgical CAPRA-Surgery (CAPRA-S) scores in patients with intermediate- to high-risk PCa treated with radical prostatectomy (RP) and pelvic lymph node dissection. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This is a follow-up study of the surgical cohort evaluated in the multicenter prospective phase 3 imaging trial (n = 277; NCT03368547, NCT02611882, and NCT02919111). OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS AND STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Each 68Ga-PSMA-11-PET scan was read by three blinded independent readers. PSMA-PET prostate uptake (low vs high), PSMA-PET extraprostatic disease (N1/M1), and CAPRA and CAPRA-S scores were used to assess the risk of BCR. Patients were followed after RP by local investigators using electronic medical records. BCR was defined by a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level increasing to ≥0.2 ng/ml after RP or initiation of PCa-specific secondary treatment (>6 mo after surgery). Univariate and multivariable Cox models, and c-statistic index were performed to assess the prognostic value of PSMA-PET and for a comparison with the CAPRA and CAPRA-S scores. RESULTS AND LIMITATIONS: From December 2015 to December 2019, 277 patients underwent surgery after PSMA-PET. Clinical follow-up was obtained in 240/277 (87%) patients. The median follow-up after surgery was 32.4 (interquartile range 23.3-42.9) mo. Of 240 BCR events, 91 (38%) were observed. PSMA-PET N1/M1 was found in 41/240 (17%) patients. PSMA-PET prostate uptake, PSMA-PET N1/M1, and CAPRA and CAPRA-S scores were significant univariate predictors of BCR. The addition of PSMA-PET N1/M1 status to the presurgical CAPRA score improved the risk assessment for BCR significantly in comparison with the presurgical CAPRA score alone (c-statistic 0.70 [0.64-0.75] vs 0.63 [0.57-0.69]; p < 0.001). The C-index of the postsurgical model utilizing the postsurgical CAPRA-S score alone was not significantly different from the presurgical model combining the presurgical CAPRA score and PSMA-PET N1/M1 status (p = 0.19). CONCLUSIONS: Presurgical PSMA-PET was a strong prognostic biomarker improving BCR-FS risk assessment. Its implementation in the presurgical risk assessment with the CAPRA score improved the performance and reduced the difference with the reference standard (postsurgical CAPRA-S score). PATIENT SUMMARY: The use prostate-specific membrane antigen positron emission tomography improved the assessment of biochemical recurrence risk in patients with intermediate- and high-risk prostate cancer who were treated with radical prostatectomy and pelvic lymph node dissection.

Response Evaluation Criteria in PSMA PET/CT (RECIP 1.0) in Metastatic Castration-resistant Prostate Cancer.

Background Response Evaluation Criteria in Prostate-specific Membrane Antigen (PSMA) PET/CT (RECIP 1.0) initially integrated software-based quantitative assessment of PSMA-positive total tumor volume (TTV). Clinical implementation of such software is not expected soon, limiting the use of RECIP in practice. Purpose To assess the agreement of RECIP determined using tumor segmentation software (quantitative RECIP) with RECIP determined by qualitative reads by nuclear medicine physicians (visual RECIP) for response evaluation in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. Materials and Methods This multicenter retrospective study at three academic centers included men who received lutetium 177 (177Lu) PSMA treatment between December 2014 and July 2019. PSMA PET/CT images at baseline and 12 weeks were assessed qualitatively by five readers for changes in TTV and for new lesions. Quantitative changes in TTV were also measured using tumor segmentation software. The status of new lesions was combined with qualitative changes in TTV to determine visual RECIP and with quantitative changes in TTV to determine quantitative RECIP. The primary outcomes were the agreement between visual and quantitative RECIP and the interreader reliability of visual RECIP according to the Fleiss κ. The secondary outcome was the association of visual RECIP with overall survival according to Cox regression. Results A total of 124 men (median age, 73 years [IQR, 67-76 years]) were included. Forty (32%) and 84 (68%) men had quantitative RECIP progressive disease (PD) and non-PD, respectively. Agreement between visual versus quantitative RECIP was excellent (κ = 0.89; 118 of 124 men [95%]). Agreement among readers in classifying visual RECIP PD versus non-PD was excellent (κ = 0.81; 103 of 124 men [83%]). RECIP PD was associated with significantly shorter overall survival compared with non-PD (hazard ratio, 2.6 [95% CI: 1.7, 3.8]; P < .001). Conclusion Qualitatively assessed RECIP demonstrated excellent agreement with quantitative RECIP and excellent interreader reliability and can be readily implemented in clinical practice for response evaluation in men with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer undergoing 177Lu-PSMA therapy. © RSNA, 2023 Supplemental material is available for this article.

FAPI PET Signal in Hibernoma Reflects FAP Expression in Tumor Vasculature Cells.

ABSTRACT: A 43-year-old man with a growing mass in the right groin, concerned for liposarcoma, underwent MRI and 68 Ga-fibroblast activation protein inhibitor (FAPI)-46 PET/CT before surgery. Fibroblast activation protein inhibitor PET/CT demonstrated increased uptake (SUV max , 3.2) predominantly in the solid portion, where MRI showed gadolinium enhancement. The patient subsequently underwent surgery and was diagnosed with hibernoma. The immunohistochemistry of the tumor revealed the fibroblast activation protein expression in the fibrovascular network and myofibroblastic cells of the tumor. This case suggests that the FAPI uptake can be affected by the vascular cells, and thus, a careful interpretation of the FAPI PET signal may be needed.