The relationship between (18)F-FDG PET/CT metabolic parameters and clinicopathological features of breast cancer

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the relationship between metabolic parameters of primary lesion and clinicopathological features of patients with breast cancer. Methods: Clinical data of 78 patients with breast cancer undergone (18)F-FDG PET/CT before surgery was retrospectively analyzed. SUVmax, SUVmean and metabolic tumor volume (MTV) of primary lesions were measured by horizontal, sagittal and coronal position volume section with a threshold of 40% SUVmax. TLG was calculated and the highest SUVmax among metastatic lymph nodes was measured. Results: SUVmax, SUVmean, MTV, TLG and the maximum diameter of 78 primary lesions were 6.64(1.85, 22.79), 3.88(1.30, 11.42), 13.36(1.66, 129.08)cm(3,) 47.92(2.85, 443.28)g and 2.35(1.23, 9.80)cm, respectively. SUVmax of metastatic lymph node was 5.12(2.38, 14.32). There were statistically significant differences of primary lesion metabolic parameters (SUVmax, MTV, TLG) in different pathological stages, T stages, with or without lymph node invasion (all P<0.05). Only TLG of ER negative patients was higher than that of ER positive patients (P<0.05). TLG, MTV of PR negative patients were higher than that of PR positive patients (both P<0.05). No significant differences of metabolic parameters were found between HER-2 negative and positive patients (all P>0.05). SUVmax, MTV, TLG of primary lesion were positively associated with Ki-67 and the maximum diameter (all P<0.05), and the correlation coefficient of TLG was the highest. SUVmax, SUVmean, MTV and TLG were all positively associated with T stage (all P<0.05), and the correlation coefficient of TLG was the highest. None of the parameters had correlation with N stage(all P>0.05). Only TLG had positive correlation with clinical stage (P<0.05). SUVmax of metastatic lymph node was positively associated with metabolic parameters of primary lesion, T stage and clinical stage, respectively (all P<0.05). Conclusions: (18)F-FDG PET/CT metabolic parameters, especially TLG has the highest correlation with clinicopathological features of breast cancer. SUVmax of metastatic lymph node was positively associated with metabolic parameters of primary lesion and clinical stage.