Quantitative Imaging of Tumour Glucose Uptake Using GlucoseCEST: Comparison with 18F-FDG Autoradiography

Simon Walker-Samuel¹, Rajiv Ramasawmy¹, Francisco Torrealdea², Marilena Rega², Peter Johnson³, Vineeth Rajkumar³, Simon Richardson¹, Dave Thomas², Barbara Pedley³, Mark F. Lythgoe¹, Xavier Golay²

We have recently developed a technique named glucoseCEST that enables the accumulation of exogeneously administered, unlabelled glucose to be detected in tumours. Here we present a technique that allows glucoseCEST measurements to be converted to an absolute glucose concentration. This approach is evaluated in two colorectal tumour xenograft models (SW1222 and LS174T) and compared with 18F-FDG autoradiography. Significant differences in uptake were observed between tumour cell lines in both FDG and glucose measurements. Median tumour glucose and FDG concentrations were also significant correlated. These results suggest that glucoseCEST and 18F-FDG autoradiogaphy (and therefore FDG-PET) may provide corresponding information.