Abstract
Purpose: :
The metabolic activity of choroidal melanoma may be identified with dual-modality PET/CT imaging. Cytogenetic testing may help classify patients with choroidal melanoma into two categories based on chromosome 3 status of the primary tumor tissue: those with monosomy 3 or high risk for metastasis, and those without monosomy 3 or low risk for metastasis. This study correlated the cytogenetic result with respect to monosomy 3 in primary choroidal melanoma with the degree of metabolic tumor activity as identified by dual-modality PET/CT imaging.
Methods: :
Patients with choroidal melanoma greater than or equal to 6 mm in greatest basal diameter with known choromosome 3 status and who underwent whole body dual-modality PET/CT imaging at UCLA were included. The cytogenetic test result with respect to monosomy 3 of the primary tumor and its metabolic activity, measured in standard uptake values (SUV) by dual-modality PET/CT imaging, were evaluated.
Results: :
Twenty-five patients with choroidal melanoma were included. Ten (40%) of the 25 were monosomy 3 positive. Six (60%) of the 10 monosomy 3 tumors had positive metabolic activity identified by PET/CT imaging. There was a statistically significant association between metabolically active tumors detected by PET/CT and monosomy 3 (Fisher exact test p=0.001). Positive PET/CT imaging was 60% sensitive and 100% specific for the identification of monosomy 3 status of the primary tumor.
Keywords: melanoma • imaging/image analysis: clinical • gene microarray