RATIONALE: Diagnostic procedures, such as positron emission tomography (PET) and computed tomography (CT) imaging, may help find and diagnose metastatic prostate cancer.

PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying the side effects of C-11 choline and 18F-fluoromethylcholine and to see how well they work when used in PET and CT imaging in patients with metastatic prostate cancer.

OBJECTIVES:

• To compare C-11 choline to 18F-fluoromethylcholine using positron emission tomography and computed tomography imaging in their ability to detect metastatic prostate cancer.
• To compare the best early-phase (immediate) scanning of the two agents against the late-phase (one-hour delayed) 18F-fluoromethylcholine scanning in their ability to detect metastatic prostate cancer.
• To assess the safety of C-11 choline and 18F-fluoromethylcholine in these patients.

OUTLINE: Patients receive C-11 choline IV followed by a 10-minute dynamic positron emission tomography (PET) scan over the pelvis and then 5-minute scans at each bed position, from the pelvis to the base of the skull, (up to a maximum of 7 additional bed positions) lasting up to 45 minutes on day 1. Beginning 3 hours later, patients receive 18F-fluoromethylcholine IV followed by the same scanning protocol above lasting approximately 45 minutes. An additional 1-hour delayed PET-computed tomography (CT) scanning is then performed, which involves a 5-minute scan at each bed position from the pelvis to the base of the skull (up to a maximum of 7 bed positions) with 18F-fluoromethylcholine, lasting approximately 35 minutes. Patients then undergo treatment as per the normal standard of care following participation in this trial.

After completion of study treatment, patients are followed between 3-7 days.

Peer Reviewed and Funded or Endorsed by Cancer Research UK

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically confirmed prostate cancer
• At least 4 metastatic lesions identified by conventional imaging with bone scintigraphy
• Treatment-naive disease

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

• WHO performance status 0-2

• Life expectancy ≥ 12 weeks

• Hemoglobin ≥ 9.0 g/dL

• Platelet count ≥ 100 x 10^9/L

• Serum bilirubin ≤ 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)

• ALT and AST ≤ 2.5 times ULN (≤ 5 times ULN if due to tumor)

• Fertile patients must use two forms of effective contraception 2 weeks prior to, during, and for 6 months after completion of study therapy

• None of the following conditions that would prevent compliance with the study protocol:

  • Diabetes
  • High levels of pain/discomfort
  • Urinary incontinence

• No history of recent significant cardiac arrhythmia

• No concurrent congestive heart failure or prior history of NYHA class III-IV cardiac disease

• No other condition that, in the investigator's opinion, would not make the patient a good candidate for the clinical trial

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

• No prior radiotherapy, hormone therapy, chemotherapy, endocrine therapy, or immunotherapy for the treatment of prostate cancer

• No major thoracic and/or abdominal surgery from which the patient has not yet recovered

• No concurrent anticancer therapy

• No concurrent hormone therapy

• No concurrent participation or planning to participate in another interventional clinical trial

  • Concurrent participation in an observational trial allowed

• No other concurrent investigational drugs