Nucl Med Mol Imaging.  2006 Aug;40(4):205-210.

Prognostic Usefulness of Maximum Standardized Uptake Value on FDG-PET in Surgically Resected Non-small-cell Lung Cancer

• Nguyen XC
• Lee WW
• Sung SW
• Jheon S
• Kim YK
• Lee DS
• Chung JK
• Lee MC
• Kim SE

Abstract

PURPOSE: FDG uptake on positron emission tomography (PET) has been considered a prognostic indicator in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The aim of this study was to assess the clinical significance of maximum value of SUV (maxSUV) in recurrence prediction in patients with surgically resected NSCLC.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
NSCLC patients (n=42, F:M=14:28, age 62.3+/-12.3 y) who underwent curative resection after FDG-PET were enrolled. Twenty-nine patients had pathologic stage I, and 13 had pathologic stage II. Thirty-one patients were additionally treated with adjuvant oral chemotherapy. MaxSUVs of primary tumors were analyzed for correlation with tumor recurrence and compared with pathologic or clinical prognostic indicators. The median follow-up duration was 16 mo (range, 3-26 mo).
RESULTS
Ten (23.8%) of the 42 patients experienced recurrence during a median follow-up of 7.5 mo (range, 3-13 mo). Univariate analysis revealed that disease-free survival (DFS) was significantly correlated with maxSUV (<7 vs. > or =7, p=0.006), tumor size (<3 cm vs. > or =3 cm, p=0.024), and tumor cell differentiation (well/moderate vs. poor, p=0.044). However, multivariate Cox proportional analysis identified maxSUV as the single determinant for DFS (p=0.014). Patients with a maxSUV of > or =7 (n=10) had a significantly lower 1-year DFS rate (50.0%) than those with a maxSUV of <7 (n=32, 87.5%).
CONCLUSION
MaxSUV is a significant independent predictor for recurrence in surgically resected NSCLC. FDG uptake can be added to other well-known factors in prognosis prediction of NSCLC.

Keyword

FDG uptake; non-small-cell lung cancer; positron emission tomography; F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose; prognosis

MeSH Terms

Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung
Cell Differentiation
Disease-Free Survival
Drug Therapy
Follow-Up Studies
Humans
Lung Neoplasms*
Lung*
Positron-Emission Tomography
Prognosis
Recurrence