Comparison of ¹⁸F-choline and ¹⁸F-FDG accumulation in PET imaging of oral squamous cell carcinoma

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Positron emission tomography(PET)with ¹⁸F-choline was performed to examine squamous cell carcinomas in the oral cavity, and its usefulness in the diagnosis of oral cancers was investigated on the basis of comparison with[¹⁸F] -2-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose(¹⁸F-FDG)PET. The subjects were 36 oral cancer patients, with 17 patients and 19 patients examined by ¹⁸F-choline and ¹⁸F-FDG PET, respectively. ¹⁸F-choline and ¹⁸F-FDG accumulation were analyzed in the primary lesions and in the brain, major salivary glands, liver, abdomen, and urinary bladder. ¹⁸F-choline accumulated less than ¹⁸F-FDG in the brain and bladder. For the remaining examined organs, ¹⁸F-choline accumulation was greater than that of ¹⁸F-FDG. The mean value of ¹⁸F-choline accumulation in the primary lesions was not significantly different from that of ¹⁸F-FDG. ¹⁸F-choline accumulation by the primary lesions peaked within 10 minutes after administration. ¹⁸F-FDG did not reach a maximum even after 50 minutes. In conclusion, ¹⁸F-choline accumulated in the primary lesions of oral cancers, similar to ¹⁸F-FDG. Furthermore, it is also useful for the diagnosis of cases that progress near the brain, which is difficult with ¹⁸F-FDG. ¹⁸F-choline shortens the PET examination time, markedly reducing the burden on patients more than ¹⁸F-FDG PET.