FDG-PET in the detection of early pancreatic cancer in a BOP hamster model

The prognosis of pancreatic cancer (PC) is highly dependent on the stage of the disease, and early recognition improves survival. Positron emission tomography (PET) using 18F-fluoro-2-deoxyglucose ([ 18F]FDG) has been established as an important clinical tool for PC diagnosis, but it is not known whether FDG-PET detects premalignant stages of PC. We speculate that [ 18F]FDG uptake precedes the onset of PC in a hamster model. We used the N-nitrosobis(2-oxopropyl)amine (BOP) model, as these animals consistently develop PC within 20 weeks after first injection. Male Syrian hamsters were injected once a week with 10 mg BOP/kg body weight for 10 consecutive weeks. Terminal autopsy took place in groups of five hamsters from 4 weeks until 28 weeks after first BOP injection. After an 8-h fast, hamsters were injected with [ 18F]FDG and sacrificed 1 h after [ 18F]FDG injection. The pancreata were histopathologically examined, and the [ 18F]FDG uptake was determined and expressed as percentage of the injected dose per gram tissue (%ID/g). Seven of 55 hamsters developed macroscopic signs of tumor. Histopathological examination revealed PC in 13 hamsters. [ 18F]FDG uptake increased gradually with time and was significantly higher in the group with PC compared to the group without PC. [ 18F]FDG accumulates preferentially in PC, and pancreata exposed to BOP showed a gradual increase in [ 18F]FDG accumulation.