Positron Emission Tomography(PET) is a new imaging modality to make biochemical metabolic images. Because biochemical changes precede anatomical changes in most of diseases including cancer, PET can detect earlier changes of diseases than conventional anatomical imaging modalities. PET can also characterize biochemical property of diseases. A PET center is composed of a medical cyclotron, synthesis system of radiopharmaceuticals and scanner. For PET oncology, several positron-emitting radiopharmaceuticals have been developed. Among them, F-18-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) is most frequently used. Higher rate of glucose metabolism has been observed in cancer cells. Like glucose, FDG is transported into the cancer cells and converted to FDG-6-phosphate by hexokinase. FDG-6-phosphate is trapped in the cytoplasm, and emits gamma rays to make PET images. The current application of FDG PET in oncology is in detection, differentiation, and staging of the primary tumors, grading malignancy, monitoring therapeutic response, and early detection of recurrence. Nowadays, PET is an established procedure for staging the diseases and detecting the recurrence in many cancers, especially the lung, colorectal, and head and neck cancers, melanoma, and lymphoma. PET is a regular part of medical insurance reimbursement in many developed countries, and becomes a valuable research tool in oncology as well as an important imaging modality in managing cancer patients.
Cyclotrons ; Cytoplasm ; Developed Countries ; Electrons* ; Gamma Rays ; Glucose ; Head ; Hexokinase ; Humans ; Insurance ; Lung ; Lymphoma ; Melanoma ; Metabolism ; Neck ; Radiopharmaceuticals ; Recurrence

No abstract available.
Brain Neoplasms* ; Brain*

No abstract available.
Brain Neoplasms* ; Brain*

No abstract available.
Electrons* ; Positron-Emission Tomography*

Cancer cells are known to show increased rates of glycolysis metabolism. Based on this, PET studies using F-18-fluorodeoxyglucose have been used for the detection of primary and metastatic tumors. To account for this increased glucose uptake, a variety of mechanisms has been proposed. Glucose influx across the cell membrane is mediated by a family of structurally related proteins known as glucose transporters (Gluts). Among 6 isoforms of Gluts, Glut-1 and/or Glut-3 have been reported to show increased expression in various tumors. Increased level of Glut mRNA transcription is supposed to be the basic mechanism of Glut overexpression at the protein level. Some oncogens such as src or ras intensely stimulate Glut-1 by means of increased Glut-1 mRNA levels. Hexokinase activity is another important factor in glucose uptake in cancer cells. Especially hexokinase type II is considered to be involved in glycolysis of cancer cells. Much of the hexokinase of tumor cells is bound to outer membrane of mitochondria by the porin, a hexokinase receptor. Through this interaction, hexokinase may gain preferred access to ATP synthesized via oxidative phosphorylation in the inner mitochondria compartment. Other biologic factors such as tumor blood flow, blood volume, hypoxia, and infiltrating cells in tumor tissue are involved. Relative hypoxia may activate the anaerobic glycolytic pathway. Surrounding macrophages and newly formed granulation tisssue in tumor showed greater glucose uptake than did viable cancer cells. To expand the application of FDG PET in oncology, it is important for nuclear medicine physicians to understand the related mechanisms of glucose uptake in cancer tissue.
Adenosine Triphosphate ; Anoxia ; Biological Factors ; Blood Volume ; Carcinogens ; Cell Membrane ; Glucose* ; Glycolysis ; Hexokinase ; Humans ; Macrophages ; Membranes ; Metabolism ; Mitochondria ; Nuclear Medicine ; Oxidative Phosphorylation ; Protein Isoforms ; RNA, Messenger

No abstract available.
Thyroid Gland* ; Thyroid Neoplasms*

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Dual isotope myocardial SPECT, rest thallium-201/dipyridamole stress Tc-99m sestamibi is used to diagnose coronary artery disease. We examined predictive value of myocardial SPECT for the prognosis of patients having or suspected coronary artery disease. MATERIALS AND METHOD: We examined 692 patients referred for dipyridamole stress myocardial perfusion SPECT. Cardiac events (hard and soft events) were followed up with medical record review and telephone interview. Survival analysis and multivariate Cox proportional hazard model were used to find significant predictors and the incremental predictive value of myocardial SPECT. Patients with coronary angiography (n=246) were analyzed in separate group. RESULTS: There were 4 hard events and 3 soft events in 341 normal SPECT group (1.20%/yr). There were 5 hard events and 21 soft events in 351 abnormal SPECT group (4.69%/yr). Survival curve was separated between normal SPECT group and abnormal SPECT group (p<0.01). In univariate analysis, smoking, history of myocardial infarction, typical chest pain and SPECT findings were important variables. In multivariate analysis, SPECT result was the single most independent predictor. Large reversible perfusion abnormality predicted worse prognosis. In patients with coronary angiography, SPECT did not add statistically significant predictive value to the coronary angiography. CONCLUSION: Dipyridamole stress Tl-201/ MIBI dual isotope myocardial perfusion SPECT provided excellent prognostic information. Extent of reversible perfusion decrease was the independent predictor of future cardiac events.
Chest Pain ; Coronary Angiography ; Coronary Artery Disease ; Dipyridamole ; Humans ; Interviews as Topic ; Medical Records ; Multivariate Analysis ; Myocardial Infarction ; Perfusion ; Prognosis ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon*

No abstract available.
Animals ; Dopamine* ; Nucleus Accumbens* ; Panax* ; Rats* ; Saponins*

PURPOSE: For the purpose of using Re-188 as a therapeutic radionuclide, we performed the quality control of the W-188/Re-188 generation system. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Several quality control tests of the Re-188 eluate from generator were carried out of about 300 days. After elution of Re-188 with normal saline (20 ml), chromatogram and gamma-ray spectrum of Re-188 eluate were obtained. The presence of aluminum which was derived from the elumina bed of the generator was detected by using aluminum ion indicator kit. Re-188 eluate was allowed to decay for several days, and then W-188 breakthrough in the Re-188 eluate was measured by detecting gamma-ray at 227 keV and 290 keV. The pH and the pyrogenicity of the eluate were checked. The Re-188 eluate from the generator was 67.4+/-7.0% of W-188 during 270 days, and it was hightest at third day after previous elution. Radiochemical purity of Re-188 eluate obtained from chromatogram was higher than 99%. Gamma-ray spectrum of Re-188 eluate showed a peak at 155 keV. Aluminum ion and W-188 contamination were not detected. The pH of Re-188 eluate was 3 and the concentration yield was 85%. CONCLUSION: Our experiments and results on quality control tests of Re-188 eluate from W-188/Re-188 generator may be useful for setting W-188/Re-188 generator in hospitals.
Aluminum ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Quality Control*

PURPOSE: For the purpose of using Re-188 as a therapeutic radionuclide, we performed the quality control of the W-188/Re-188 generation system. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Several quality control tests of the Re-188 eluate from generator were carried out of about 300 days. After elution of Re-188 with normal saline (20 ml), chromatogram and gamma-ray spectrum of Re-188 eluate were obtained. The presence of aluminum which was derived from the elumina bed of the generator was detected by using aluminum ion indicator kit. Re-188 eluate was allowed to decay for several days, and then W-188 breakthrough in the Re-188 eluate was measured by detecting gamma-ray at 227 keV and 290 keV. The pH and the pyrogenicity of the eluate were checked. The Re-188 eluate from the generator was 67.4+/-7.0% of W-188 during 270 days, and it was hightest at third day after previous elution. Radiochemical purity of Re-188 eluate obtained from chromatogram was higher than 99%. Gamma-ray spectrum of Re-188 eluate showed a peak at 155 keV. Aluminum ion and W-188 contamination were not detected. The pH of Re-188 eluate was 3 and the concentration yield was 85%. CONCLUSION: Our experiments and results on quality control tests of Re-188 eluate from W-188/Re-188 generator may be useful for setting W-188/Re-188 generator in hospitals.
Aluminum ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Quality Control*