Reader training for the restaging of biochemically recurrent prostate cancer using ¹⁸F-Fluciclovine PET/CT

¹⁸F-Fluciclovine is a novel PET/CT tracer. This blinded image evaluation (BIE) sought to demonstrate that, after limited training, readers naïve to ¹⁸F-fluciclovine could interpret ¹⁸F-fluciclovine images from subjects with biochemically recurrent prostate cancer with acceptable diagnostic performance and reproducibility. The primary objectives were to establish individual readers' diagnostic performance and the overall interpretation (2/3 reader concordance) compared with standard-of-truth data (histopathology or clinical follow-up) and to evaluate interreader reproducibility. Secondary objectives included comparison to the expert reader and assessment of intrareader reproducibility. Methods: ¹⁸F-Fluciclovine PET/CT images (n = 121) and corresponding standard-of-truth data were collected from 110 subjects at Emory University using a single-time-point static acquisition starting = min after injection of approximately 370 MBq of ¹⁸F-fluciclovine. Three readers were trained using standardized interpretation methodology and subsequently evaluated the images in a blinded manner. Analyses were conducted at the lesion, region (prostate, including bed and seminal vesicle, or extraprostatic, including all lymph nodes, bone, or soft-tissue metastasis), and subject level. Results: Lesion-level overall positive predictive value was 70.5%. The readers' positive predictive value and negative predictive value were broadly consistent with each other and with the onsite read. Sensitivity was highest for readers 1 and 2 (68.5% and 63.9%, respectively) whereas specificity was highest for reader 3 (83.6%). Overall, prostate-level sensitivity was high (91.4%), but specificity was moderate (48.7%). Interreader agreement was 94.7%, 74.4%, and 70.3% for the lesion, prostate, and extraprostatic levels, respectively, with associated Fleiss' k-values of 0.54, 0.50, and 0.57. Intrareader agreement was 97.8%, 96.9%, and 99.1% at the lesion level; 100%, 100%, and 91.7% in the prostate region; and 83.3%, 75.0%, and 83.3% in the extraprostatic region for readers 1, 2, and 3, respectively. Concordance between the BIE and the onsite reader exceeded 75% for each reader at the lesion, region, and subject levels. Conclusion: Specific training in the use of standardized interpretation methodology for assessment of ¹⁸F-fluciclovine PET/ CT images enables naïve readers to achieve acceptable diagnostic performance and reproducibility when staging recurrent prostate cancer.