Progression-free and overall survival in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer treated with abiraterone acetate can be predicted with serial C11-acetate PET/CT

In this retrospective study, we evaluated the benefit of repeated carbon 11 (C11)-acetate positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) to assess response in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) treated with abiraterone acetate (AA).A total of 30 patients with mCRPC were monitored with C11-acetate PET/CT and PSA levels during their treatment with AA. Retrospective evaluation of their response was made after 102 days (median; range 70-155) of treatment. Statistical analyses were employed to detect predictors of progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS), and potential correlation between serum levels of PSA, standardized uptake values (SUVpeak), and bone lesion index measured from PET were investigated.At follow-up 10 patients exhibited partial response (PR), 10 progressive disease (PD), and 10 stable disease (SD), as assessed by PET/CT. In survival analysis, both PR and PD were significantly associated with PFS and OS. CT response was also associated with OS, but only 19/30 patients demonstrated a lesion meeting target lesion criteria according to RECIST 1.1. No PET/CT baseline characteristic was significantly associated with PFS or OS. A PSA response (reduction in the level by >50%) could also predict PFS and OS. In the subgroup lacking a PSA response, those with PD had significantly shorter OS than those with PR or SD.PFS and OS in patients with mCRPC treated with AA can be predicted from repeated C11-acetate PET/CT. This may be of particular clinical value in patients who do not exhibit a PSA response to treatment.