18F-fluoroethylcholine

**18F-fluoroethylcholine** is a synthetic radiopharmaceutical used primarily as a positron emission tomography (PET) imaging agent for the detection, staging, and restaging of certain cancers, most notably prostate cancer. It is an analog of choline labeled with the positron-emitting isotope fluorine-18. After intravenous administration, it is actively transported into tumor cells via choline transporters and phosphorylated by choline kinase—an enzyme often upregulated in tumors—resulting in its incorporation into cellular phospholipids such as phosphatidylcholine. This mechanism leads to selective accumulation in rapidly proliferating tumor cells, enabling their visualization on PET scans. The compound was developed to overcome limitations of earlier tracers like ^11C-choline by offering a longer half-life and improved image resolution due to the properties of fluorine-18[2][4][6][7][8].

Brand names

Fluorocholine F18

Other names

Fluorine F18 fluoroethylcholineO-fluoroethylcholine (18F)Fluorocholine(18F)(18F)Fluorocholine