Using FDG-PET/CT, researchers in Italy have found a correlation between cell-free tumor DNA circulating in the bloodstream and the aggressiveness of tumors in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), according to a study published in the November issue of the Journal of Nuclear Medicine.
Lead study author Dr. Silvia Morbelli, PhD, from the IRCCS San Martino-IST National Cancer Research Institute in Genoa, and colleagues suggest that cell-free DNA might better reflect the biological behavior and aggressiveness of tumors than tumor burden in metastatic NSCLC (JNM, November 2017, Vol. 58:11, pp. 1764-1769).
The study included 24 men and 13 women between the ages of 51 and 80 years who had never been treated with chemotherapy. Morbelli and colleagues found a direct correlation between the amount of cell-free DNA and tumor metabolism -- but not with metabolic tumor volume.
The researchers also reported that a subgroup of 13 patients with metabolically active bone lesions had higher levels of cell-free DNA. While cell-free DNA correlated with tumor metabolism, no association was found with circulating tumor cells.
"Our findings illustrate the prognostic value of F-18 FDG and provide a deeper understanding of clinically reliable, noninvasive biomarkers that may help identify potential unresponsive NSCLC patients before treatment and limit unnecessary toxicity," Morbelli said.