Abstract
Abstract Background We evaluated that metabolic response using [18F]-Fluorodeoxyglucose positron-emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) predicts survival outcome in patients treated with neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (NACRT) plus esophagectomy for thoracic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (TESCC). Methods Fifty consecutive Japanese patients with cStage IIB-IV TESCC, treated at our hospital between April 2009 and January 2014, were enrolled. We analyzed the metabolic response (fractional decrease in tumor maximum standardized uptake value) to NACRT. Independent prognostic factors predictive of 3-year survival were investigated using univariate and multivariate analysis. Results The study participants included 41 (82%) males and 9 (18%) females, with an age of 62.5 (rage 43–74) years. All 42 patients examined were found to be positive for tumors on FDG-PET/CT before treatment. After NACRT, 28% (10/36) of patients had changed from positive to negative for tumor on FDG-PET/CT. Seventy-one percent (30/42) of patients were positive for lymph node involvement on FDG-PET/CT before treatment. After NACRT, 81% (22/27) of patients previously positive for lymph node involvement were negative on FDG-PET/CT. The median fractional decrease in tumor SUVmax was 75% (range = 19–90%). We found that there was a significant correlation between a decrease in FDG-PET/CT and recurrence. Consistent with those findings, univariate and multivariate analysis taking into consideration age, gender, cT, cN, cM, adverse events, interval between NACRT and surgery, number of dissected LNs, pT, pN, pCR, pathological response, and fractional decrease in tumor SUVmax showed that fractional decrease in tumor SUVmax of < 75% to be significant prognostic factors associated with poorer survival. Conclusion Metabolic response as a decrease in SUVmax of ≥ 75% was an independent prognostic factor for 3-year overall survival in multivariate analysis and associated with recurrence. On the other hand, cT, cN, pT, pN, pCR were not associated with survival outcome or recurrence. Disclosure All authors have declared no conflicts of interest.
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