Sato K, Kameyama M, Kayama T, Yoshimoto T, Ishiwata K, Ito M
Department of Neurosurgery, Tohoku University School of Medicine, Sendai.
Neurol Med Chir (Tokyo). 1995 Nov;35(11):808-12. doi: 10.2176/nmc.35.808.
A 37-year-old male with mixed glioma was treated with combined radio- and chemotherapy. The amino acid metabolism of the tumor site and normal brain was followed by positron emission tomography using [11C]methionine ([11C]Met). The accumulation of [11C]Met in the tumor decreased during therapy and slightly increased 7 months after completion of the therapy, but then decreased markedly. However, computed tomography revealed no notable changes. The contralateral gray matter also showed a gradual decrease of [11C]Met accumulation. These findings indicate that reduction of amino acid metabolism in the tumor continues after radiochemotherapy although neuroimaging reveals no further morphological changes. Such therapy also has long-term effects on normal brain tissue.
