To Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of (18F-FCH) Comparing With (18F-FDG) for Detecting Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Liver cancer is a major cause of death among patients of east or southeast asian descent, as well as other population groups, notably in central and west Africa. Diagnosis of liver cancer requires a combination of several imaging techniques and biopsies. Despite this, diagnosis can remain inconclusive or difficult to establish in patients at risk for liver cancer. The purpose of this multi-center trial is to evaluate novel imaging methods developed to diagnose the most common form of liver cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma. We propose to use novel imaging probes that have been reported to bind to liver cancers but not benign liver lesions that can be confused with liver cancer. Two such imaging probes will be evaluated. 2-\[18F\]-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose, called \[18F\]FDG, is a radioactive sugar that is widely used for cancer imaging with a device called positron emission tomography, or PET scans. We already know that \[18F\]FDG cannot detect some liver cancers that are slow growing. \[18F\]Fluorocholine (\[18F\]FCH), another molecule, has been recently reported to be highly effective at detecting liver cancer. In 2010, a French researcher reported 80-90% detection rate by using \[18F\]FCH alone or in combination with \[18F\]FDG. We will compare \[18F\]FCH and \[18F\]FDG in evaluating 150 patients over a period of two years. The results will be correlated with those of biopsies and clinical follow-up. This study will provide valuable data on whether these imaging agents can successfully differentiate malignant liver lesions from benign ones. It will also provide information about whether these imaging agents can successfully assess whether the cancer has spread outside the liver. It will provide data that will allow physicians to determine the optimal imaging protocol to properly diagnose liver cancer.