Dynamic changes in 18F-borono-L-phenylalanine uptake in unresectable, advanced, or recurrent squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck and malignant melanoma during boron neutron capture therapy patient selection

Background: We evaluated dynamic changes in F-18-borono-L-phenylalanine (F-18-BPA) uptake in unresectable, advanced, or recurrent squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCC) and malignant melanoma (MM) during boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) patient selection. Methods: Dynamic changes in the maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax), tumor-to-normal tissue ratio (TNR), and tumor-to-blood pool ratio (TBR) for F-18-BPA were evaluated in 20 patients with SCC and 8 patients with MM. Results: SUVmax in SCC tumors decreased significantly from 30 to 120 min. There was a non-statistically significant decrease in SUVmax for SCC tumors from 30 to 60 min and from 60 to 120 min. Patients with MM had nonsignificant SUVmax changes in F-18-BPA uptake on delayed imaging. Nonsignificant F-18-BPA TNR and TBR changes were seen in patients with SCC and MM. Conclusions: Dynamic changes in SUVmax for F-18-BPA uptake had a washout pattern in SCC and a persistent pattern in MM. Dynamic F-18-BPA -PET studies should be performed to investigate the pharmacokinetics of F-18-BPA in humans and select appropriate candidates who may benefit from BNCT.