Comparison of the [18F]-FDG and [18F]-FLT PET Tracers in the Evaluation of the Preclinical Proton Therapy Response in Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

We showed that the use of the [18F]-FDG and [18F]-FLT radiolabeled molecules can provide useful and complementary information for longitudinal follow-up of small animal proton therapy studies in the context of HCC. [18F]-FDG PET imaging enables a treatment monitoring several days/weeks postirradiation. On the other hand, [18F]-FLT could represent a good candidate to monitor the treatment few days postirradiation, in the context of hypo-fractioned and close irradiation planning. This opens new perspectives in terms of treatment efficacy verification depending on the irradiation scheme.