[18F]FDG accumulation in an experimental model of multistage progression of cholangiocarcinoma

Aim: The diagnosis of cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is difficult, and due to the insidious course of the disease, most cases present at a relatively late stage. Positron emission tomography (PET), using [18F]fluoro-2-deoxyglucose ([18F]FDG) as a tracer is one the most powerful molecular imaging techniques available. We hypothesized that [18F]FDG accumulates at sites of early CCA development and that FDG-PET may be of value for the early diagnosis of CCA. Methods: We added 300 mg/L thioacetamide to the drinking water of rats who went on to develop CCA within 20 weeks. From eight weeks onwards, groups of three rats were injected with [18F]FDG, subsequently the liver was perfused, dissected and subjected to quantitative autoradiography using a phosphor imaging system. The liver sections were stained for histology, and glutathione S-transferase (GST) enzyme activity was determined. We correlated [18F]FDG uptake with pathological liver changes. Results: The experiments demonstrate that thioacetamide causes atypical bile ducts and invasive CCA. Rat livers harvested early after the start of administration of thioacetamide contained only cirrhosis and/or atypical bile ducts, but CCA and FDG accumulation were absent. At 20 weeks, all rats had developed CCA and all, except two animals with a very small carcinoma, had strongly elevated focal FDG uptake. Quantitative autoradiography revealed tumor-to-normal-liver ratios as high as 5:4. In all rats with a carcinoma, there was a backdrop of cirrhosis, and interestingly cirrhotic areas did not show elevated FDG accumulation. Conclusion: [18F]FDG accumulates in CCA, is able to distinguish CCA from liver cirrhosis, but is probably unsuitable to detect very early CCA lesions. © 2007 The Japan Society of Hepatology.