Comparison of fluorine-18-2-fluorodeoxyglucose and gallium-67 citrate imaging for detection of lymphoma

Patients with lymphomas are conventionally imaged with [67Ga]citrate for tumor detection and determination of dissemination. Fluorine-18-2-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose [( 18F]FDG) is a radiopharmaceutical that accumulates into tissues where glucose utilization is enhanced, such as tumors. Six cancer patients (five non-Hodgkin's lymphomas, one endodermal retroperitoneal sinus carcinoma) were imaged with [18F]FDG and [67Ga]citrate whole-body scintigraphies in order to compare the sensitivities of these two tumor imaging radiopharmaceuticals. Among the five untreated lymphoma patients, two 67Ga scans and four [18F]FDG scans were positive; in the patient with the retroperitoneal carcinoma who had a positive [18F]FDG scan before treatment, both scans were negative after treatment. Fluorine-18 FDG may be a more sensitive tumor-detecting radiopharmaceutical for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma than [67Ga]citrate.