Stracuzzi Federica, Dall' Armellina Sara, Aghakhanyan Gayane, Fanni Salvatore C, Aringhieri Giacomo, Faggioni Lorenzo, Neri Emanuele, Volterrani Duccio, Cioni Dania
Nuclear Medicine Unit, Azienda Ospedaliera di Rilievo Nazionale e di Alta Specializzazione (ARNAS) Garibaldi, 95124 Catania, Italy.
Nuclear Medicine Unit, Service Area Department, Azienda Socio-Sanitaria Territoriale (ASST)-Rhodense P.O. Bollate, 994301 Milan, Italy.
Biomolecules. 2025 Jul 18;15(7):1041. doi: 10.3390/biom15071041.
Positron emission tomography (PET) and liquid biopsy have independently transformed prostate cancer management. This review explores the complementary roles of PET imaging and liquid biopsy in prostate cancer, focusing on their combined diagnostic, monitoring, and prognostic potential. A systematic search of PubMed, Scopus, and Cochrane Library databases was conducted to identify human studies published in English up to January 2025. Seventeen studies met the inclusion criteria and were analyzed according to PRISMA guidelines. Across the included studies, PET-derived imaging metrics, such as metabolic activity and radiotracer uptake, correlated consistently with liquid biopsy biomarkers, including circulating tumor cells and cell-free DNA. Their joint application demonstrated added value in early detection, treatment monitoring, and outcome prediction, particularly in castration-resistant prostate cancer. Independent and synergistic prognostic value was noted for both modalities, including survival outcomes such as overall survival and progression-free survival. Combining PET imaging and liquid biopsy emerges as a promising, non-invasive strategy for improving prostate cancer diagnosis, monitoring, and therapeutic stratification. While preliminary findings are encouraging, large-scale prospective studies are essential to validate their integrated clinical utility.
正电子发射断层扫描（PET）和液体活检已分别改变了前列腺癌的治疗方式。本综述探讨了PET成像和液体活检在前列腺癌中的互补作用，重点关注它们在联合诊断、监测和预后方面的潜力。我们对PubMed、Scopus和Cochrane图书馆数据库进行了系统检索，以识别截至2025年1月发表的英文人体研究。17项研究符合纳入标准，并根据PRISMA指南进行了分析。在所纳入的研究中，PET衍生的成像指标，如代谢活性和放射性示踪剂摄取，与液体活检生物标志物，包括循环肿瘤细胞和游离DNA，始终存在相关性。它们的联合应用在早期检测、治疗监测和结果预测方面显示出附加价值，尤其是在去势抵抗性前列腺癌中。两种方法均具有独立和协同的预后价值，包括总生存和无进展生存等生存结果。将PET成像和液体活检相结合，成为一种有前景的、非侵入性的策略，可改善前列腺癌的诊断、监测和治疗分层。虽然初步结果令人鼓舞，但大规模前瞻性研究对于验证它们的综合临床效用至关重要。
