Study Evaluating the Correlation Between C-11 Acetate Uptake and Retention as Measured by PET and FAS in Prostate Cancer

Study Evaluating the Correlation Between C-11 Acetate Uptake and Retention as Measured by PET and FAS in Prostate Cancer

A Pilot Study Evaluating the Correlation Between Carbon 11 Acetate (C-11 Acetate) Uptake and Retention as Measured by Positron Emission Tomography (PET) and Fatty Acid Synthase (FAS) Expression in Prostate Cancer

The purpose of this study is to understand if a new type of radiology test called positron emission tomography (PET) with carbon 11 acetate will help us to understand which cancers produce more of a protein called fatty acid synthase (FAS).

Within 4 weeks of the patient's scheduled surgery they will undergo a C11 acetate PET scan. This scan will be performed at the Massachusetts General Hospital's Nuclear Medicine Department and involves an intravenous injection of acetate with a radioactive tracer followed by a PET scan. The scan will determine how well the tumor is taking up the acetate. Patients will also undergo a CT scan of the pelvis at the same time as the PET scan. After surgery, the removed tumor will have additional testing that will look at different factors that may tell us how aggressive the tumor is and how much FAS is within the tumor. FAS seems to be produced in higher amounts by prostate cancer cells than normal cells. We will then try to determine if the results of the C11 acetate PET scan can tell us how much FAS is produced by prostate cancer cells.

To explore the associations between measures of C-11 acetate uptake and retention into prostate tumors and levels of FAS expression in tissue.

Inclusion Criteria: Histologically documented prostate cancer Planned radical prostatectomy > 50% cores positive for prostate cancer from prostate biopsy or a palpable prostate nodule Older than 18 years of age Exclusion Criteria: Inability to lay on a scanner for 60 minutes