Tumor localization with 18F-2-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose: comparative autoradiography, glucose 6-phosphatase histochemistry, and histology of renally implanted sarcoma of the rat.

Rous sarcoma cells were implanted into the kidney of rats. After 5 days of growth the renal tumor was used for comparing histology with glucose 6-phosphatase (G6Pase) enzyme histochemistry (EHC) and 18F-fluoro-2-deoxyglucose (FDG) auroradiography (ARG). It was found that the regions of the kidney tumor that had retained normal kidney structures were devoid of FDG, whereas there was histochemical staining of normal cortical areas. Regions of tumor growth, on the other hand, retained FDG and lacked G6Pase. Necrotic areas did not accumulate FDG. There was a dramatic decrease in the areas of G6Pase activity as a result of tumor infiltration in the kidney. The results show that FDG, currently being evaluated as a tumor detecting radiopharmaceutical indeed accumulates into areas of vital malignant growth, and they indicate that FDG positron emission tomographic (PET) images reveal the true anatomic location of malignant tissue.