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Scans detect recurring prostate cancer

Posted on: Friday, 4 September 2009, 15:52 CDT

Italian researchers suggest using positron emission tomography and computer tomography with choline to detect recurring prostate cancer earlier.

The study, published in the Journal of Nuclear Medicine, suggests the scans are quicker than conventional imaging in detecting recurring prostate cancer in those who have had the prostate and surrounding tissue removed.

In most patients with biochemical relapse after radical prostatectomy -- prostate removal -- conventional imaging methods often return false-negative results, meaning that the imaging techniques fail to detect cancer that is present in the body, lead author Dr. Paolo Castellucci of the University of Bologna in Italy said in a statement.

The study included 190 patients who had undergone radical prostatectomy and showed significant increases in levels of prostate-specific antigen in the blood.

The researchers found whole body PET and CT imaging with choline were significantly better than conventional imaging technologies in detecting prostate cancer and suggest those patients with a high probability of having a positive scan based on PSA should undergo the choline scans.

Source: United Press International

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