Carbon-11-choline

Carbon-11-choline is a radiopharmaceutical used in positron emission tomography (PET) imaging. It is a radioisotope of the nutrient choline, labeled with the short-lived isotope Carbon-11.

Chemistry[edit | edit source]

Carbon-11 is a radioactive isotope of carbon that decays by positron emission, with a half-life of approximately 20 minutes. It is produced in a cyclotron by proton bombardment of boron. The carbon-11 is then used to label choline, a nutrient that is essential for the synthesis of phospholipids, which are a key component of cell membranes.

Medical Use[edit | edit source]

Carbon-11-choline is used in PET imaging to visualize the distribution of choline in the body. This can be useful in the diagnosis and monitoring of certain diseases, particularly cancer. Cancer cells often have an increased uptake of choline, which can be detected using carbon-11-choline PET imaging. This technique has been used in the diagnosis and staging of prostate cancer, brain tumors, and other types of cancer.

Advantages and Limitations[edit | edit source]

One of the main advantages of carbon-11-choline is its short half-life, which allows for rapid imaging and reduces the patient's exposure to radiation. However, this also means that the radiopharmaceutical must be produced on-site or nearby, as it cannot be stored for long periods. Another limitation is that the uptake of choline is not specific to cancer cells, and can also occur in areas of inflammation or infection, which can lead to false-positive results.