ANGIOTENSIN-II-INDUCED HYPERTENSION CHEMOTHERAPY - EVALUATION OF HEPATIC BLOOD-FLOW WITH O-15 PET

We quantitatively measured blood Row in liver parenchyma and hepatic t umors in two patients using O-15-carbon dioxide (steady state) and O-1 5-water (dynamic) PET imaging. Images were acquired before and during administration of angiotensin-II to achieve a hypertensive slate. Bloo d Row in the hepatocellular carcinoma was greater than that of the par enchyma. Blood Row in the colon metastasis was similar to that in the parenchyma and lower in the center than in the periphery. During a hyp ertensive state induced by angiotensin II, blood flow in both the prim ary and secondary liver tumors did not change, while blood flow in the liver parenchyma decreased. As a result, there was a relative increas e in tumor blood flow during the hypertensive state on PET images. Fur thermore, blood Row to the spleen decreased to 55% of baseline during the hypertensive state. These findings suggest that hypertensive cance r chemotherapy may protect normal tissue. Furthermore, PET imaging may be able to predict the efficacy of hypertensive cancer chemotherapy i n the patients with liver tumors.