Factors affecting 18 F FDOPA standardized uptake value in patients with primary brain tumors after treatment

AimTo investigate the factors affecting 18 F FDOPA uptake in patients with primary brain tumors (PBT) after treatment.Materials and methods97 patients with PBT (6 were grade I, 40 were grade II, 29 were grade III and 22 were grade IV) underwent 18 F FDOPA positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) after treatment. Intervals from surgery, chemotherapy (CHT) and radiotherapy (RT) were 41.48 (± 42.27), 16.04 (± 29.08) and 28.62 (± 34.49) months respectively.Results18 F FDOPA uptake in the site of recurrence was not related to the interval from surgery and CHT while a significant relationship has been found with the interval from RT and tumor grade.ConclusionsThe results of our study show that the interval from RT and the grade of PBT should be considered carefully when evaluating brain PET/CT scans since these factors could directly affect 18 F FDOPA uptake.