Authors' recommendations: The bibliographic search yielded 693 studies. Of these, 48 met the inclusion criteria. Eight reviews, systematic or narrative, were also retrieved. All the studies included were of an observational nature and some displayed methodological limitations. Comparison of results was rendered difficult by the presence of heterogeneity, which limits the possibility of issuing final conclusions. In initial diagnosis of prostate cancer, obtaining images with PET or PET/CT using choline analogue tracers is not considered a first-line technique, due to its low diagnostic accuracy. Furthermore, given their spatial resolution, PET scanning systems could only be useful for detecting lesions in the prostate gland which were larger than 5 mm. While there have been no results to date in support of the role of choline PET in lymph-node staging of patients with prostate cancer, it would nevertheless appear to be a diagnostic tool for the re-staging of patients with suspicion of relapse after previous radical treatment. Choline PET could have a role in early detection of osseous metastases in patients with biochemical relapse, particularly in those registering higher prostate-specific antigen (PSA) values and an increase in PSA kinetics.

Project Status: Completed

Year Published: 2012

URL for published report: http://www.sergas.es/docs/Avalia-t/CT2012-02-PET%20TAC.pdf

English language abstract: An English language summary is available

Publication Type: Not Assigned

Country: Spain

Organisation Name: Scientific Advice Unit, avalia-t; The Galician Health Knowledge Agency (ACIS)

Contact Address: Conselleria de Sanidade, Xunta de Galicia, San Lazaro s/n 15781 Santiago de Compostela, Spain. Tel: 34 981 541831; Fax: 34 981 542854;

Contact Name: avalia-t@sergas.es

Contact Email: avalia-t@sergas.es

Copyright: Galician Agency for Health Technology Assessment (AVALIA-T)