The Prognostic Value of Quantitative Bone SPECT/CT Before 223Ra Treatment in Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer

Radiolabeled bisphosphonates such as Tc-99m-3,3-diphosphono-1,2-propanodicarboxylic acid ((99)mTc-DPD) typically show intense uptake in skeletal metastases from metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). Extensive bone involvement is regarded as a risk factor for mCRPC patients treated with Ra-223-dichloride (Ra-223). The aim of this study was to quantify Tc-99m-DPD uptake by means of SPECT/CT before Ra-223 and compare the results with the feasibility of treatment and overall survival (OS). Methods: Sixty consecutive mCRPC patients were prospectively included in this study. SPECT/CT of the central skeleton covering the skull to the mid-femoral level was performed before the first cycle of Ra-223. The bone compartment was defined by means of low-dose CT. Emission data were corrected for scatter, attenuation, and decay supplemented by resolution recovery using dedicated software. The Kaplan-Meier estimator, U test, and Cox regression analysis were used for statistics. Results: Total Tc-99m-DPD uptake of the central skeleton varied between 11% and 56% of injected dose (%1D) or between 1.8 and 10.5 %ID/1,000 mL of bone volume (%ID/L). SUVmean ranged from 1.9 to 7.4, whereas the SUVmax range was 18-248. Patients unable to complete Ra-223 treatment because of progression and/or cytopenia (n = 23) showed significantly higher uptake (31.9 vs. 25.4 %ID and 6.0 vs. 4.7 %ID/L; P < 0.02). OS after Ra-223 (median, 15.2 mo) was reduced to 7.3 mo in cases of skeletal uptake that was 26 %ID or higher, as compared with 30.8 mo if lower than 26 %ID (P = 0.008). Similar results were obtained for %ID/L and SUVmean. SUVmax did not correlate with survival. %ID/L was identified as an independent prognostic factor for OS (hazard ratio, 1.381 per unit), along with number of previous treatment lines. Conclusion: Quantitative SPECT/CT of bone scans performed at baseline is prognostic for survival in mCRPC patients treated with Ra-223.

Automated summary

This study aimed to quantify the uptake of Tc-99m-DPD in bone metastases of prostate cancer patients before Ra-223 treatment and compare it with treatment feasibility and overall survival. Results showed that patients with higher bone uptake were more likely unable to complete Ra-223 treatment and had lower survival rates.