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CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · World J Nucl Med 2022; 21(01): 018-027
DOI: 10.1055/s-0042-1744195
Original Article

Rubidium Uptake in Chest Tumors on PET/CT

Jorge D. Oldan
1   Department of Radiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States
,
Abiola D. Femi-Abodunde
1   Department of Radiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States
,
Mitchel A. Muhleman
1   Department of Radiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States
,
Amir H. Khandani
1   Department of Radiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States
› Author Affiliations Funding None.
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Abstract

Background Chest tumors are often found incidentally on cardiac scans; we aimed to describe the findings of rubidium (Rb) in incidentally discovered extracardiac tumors.

Materials and Methods We reviewed a database of cardiac Rb scans performed over a period of 11 years and identified those with a previously unsuspected malignancy seen on the plane of section. We then measured maximum standard uptake value for each of the tumors, as well as background lung, liver, mediastinum, and body wall. In cases where fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) was available, we compared Rb results with FDG PET/CT.

Results We identified 63 patients meeting criteria including full visualization of a tumor of at least 1.0 cm with no prior treatment. Of these patients, 17 had breast, 36 had lung, and 10 had miscellaneous other tumors. We selected patients with either breast or lung tumors for further analysis. Overall uptake was relatively stable between rest and stress but lower than FDG PET/CT; it was generally low and similar to blood pool. There was a small but statistically significant correlation between estrogen receptor positivity and Rb uptake in breast tumors. There was a stable pattern of uptake in background tissues, with liver being greater than mediastinal blood pool, which in turn was more avid than lung, which was more avid than subcutaneous body wall tissues. Lung showed a noticeable tendency toward increased uptake in dependent regions, likely reflecting low-level atelectasis.

Conclusion Uptake was stable between rest and stress but low relative to FDG PET/CT; some correlations with receptors suggest it may be useful in molecular imaging.

Keywords

PET/CT - rubidium - oncology - chest

Authors' Contribution

J.D.O. designed the study, helped in literature search, data acquisition, data analysis, statistical analysis, manuscript preparation, and was the guarantor. A.D.F. and M.A.M. contributed to data acquisition and manuscript preparation. A.H.K. contributed to concept and manuscript preparation. All authors read and approved the final manuscript, requirements for authorship have been met, and each author believes manuscript represents honest work.




Publication History

Article published online:
24 February 2022

© 2022. World Association of Radiopharmaceutical and Molecular Therapy (WARMTH). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)

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