Measuring Fatty Acid Oxidation in Cerebral Metastases Using [18F]FPIA

Cerebral metastases represent a significant problem for oncological management. It is estimated that 20-40% of patients with cancer will develop metastatic cancer to the brain during the course of their illness. 18F-fluoropivalate (\[18F\]FPIA) is a new tracer that images short chain fatty acid (SCFA) uptake in tumours, a key component of fatty acid oxidation. The aim of this study is to quantify the degree of early step fatty acid oxidation in cerebral metastases as imaged by \[18F\]FPIA Positron Emission Tomography (PET)/Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). The investigators hypothesise that FPIA uptake will be higher in metastases that are treatment naïve compared to those that have undergone treatment, in keeping with viable tumour cells having a high propensity to generate ATP and NADPH via fatty acid oxidation under bioenergetic stress.