Background:
Men who receive androgen deprivation therapy for prostate cancer may be at increased risk for cardiovascular events. Vascular calcification is predictive of coronary events in the general population. The prevalence of vascular calcification in men with prostate cancer is not known.
Methods:
211 consecutive patients who underwent 18F-fluciclovine positron emission tomography (PET) /computed tomography (CT) at Washington University School of Medicine for recurrent prostate cancer were retrospectively identified. Clinical, demographic, and cardiac biomarker data were obtained from the medical record. Coronary and aortic calcification were qualitatively assessed on non-gated CT scans using standardized scoring systems.
Results:
Among 211 men with recurrent prostate cancer, median age was 69 (IQR 64, 75) years. Cardiovascular comorbidities were common (70% hypertension, 65% hyperlipidemia, 20% diabetes mellitus, 47% current or former smoking). 21% carried a clinical diagnosis of coronary artery disease while 6% had peripheral vascular disease. On CT imaging, 147 patients (70%) had coronary artery calcification of whom 29 (20%) had severe calcification. Additionally, 189 patients (90%) had aortic calcification on CT imaging of whom 48 (25%) had severe thoracic aortic calcification and 109 (58%) had severe calcification at the aortoiliac bifurcation.
Conclusions:
Coronary and peripheral vascular calcification are common on PET/CT imaging in men with prostate cancer. Vascular calcification on CT imaging may have utility for cardiovascular risk stratification and guiding implementation of cardiovascular therapies in men receiving androgen deprivation therapy.
Noninvasive Detection of Active Microcalcification in an Occlusive Peripheral Vascular Aneurysm Using 18F-NaF PET/CT Imaging