Median Standardized Uptake Value Research Articles

Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography for Evaluating Early Response During Neoadjuvant Chemoradiotherapy in Patients With Potentially Curable Esophageal Cancer

Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy before surgery can improve survival in patients with potentially curable esophageal cancer, but not all patients respond. Fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) has been proposed to identify nonresponders early during neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy. The aim of the present study was to determine whether FDG-PET could differentiate between responding and nonresponding esophageal tumors early in the course of neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy. This clinical trial comprised serial FDG-PET before and 14 days after start of chemoradiotherapy in patients with potentially curable esophageal carcinoma. Histopathologic responders were defined as patients with no or less than 10% viable tumor cells (Mandard score on resection specimen). PET response was measured using the standardized uptake value (SUV). Receiver operating characteristic analysis was used to evaluate the ability of SUV in distinguishing between histopathologic responders and nonresponders. In 100 included patients, 64 were histopathologic responders. The median SUV decrease 14 days after the start of therapy was 30.9% for histopathologic responders and 1.7% for nonresponders (P = 0.001). In receiver operating characteristic analysis, the area under the curve was 0.71 (95% CI = 0.60-0.82). Using a 0% SUV decrease cutoff value, PET correctly identified 58 of 64 responders (sensitivity 91%) and 18 of 36 nonresponders (specificity 50%). The corresponding positive and negative predictive values were 76% and 75%, respectively. SUV decrease 14 days after the start of chemoradiotherapy was significantly associated with histopathologic tumor response, but its accuracy in detecting nonresponders was too low to justify the clinical use of FDG-PET for early discontinuation of neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy in patients with potentially curable esophageal cancer.

Preliminary study on the correlation between grading and histology of solitary pulmonary nodules and contrast enhancement and [18F]fluorodeoxyglucose standardised uptake value after evaluation by dynamic multiphase CT and PET/CT

AimTo evaluate whether the histology and grading of solitary pulmonary nodules (SPNs) correlated with the results of dynamic multiphase multidetector CT (MDCT) and the [18F]fluorodeoxyglucose standardised uptake value (SUV) in...

The Standardized Uptake Value of 18-Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography after Chemoradiation and Clinical Outcome in Patients with Localized Gastroesophageal Carcinoma

Background: Empirical trimodality (TM) or bimodality (BM) approaches lead to unpredictable outcomes in patients with localized gastroesophageal carcinoma (LGC). We hypothesized that the standardized uptake value (SUV) of positron emission tomography (PET) after chemoradiation would define the clinical outcome in patients. Methods: We analyzed272 (TM = 155 and BM = 117) LGC patients after chemoradiation PET and studied its association with overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS). The log-rank test, multivariate Cox proportional hazards model, and Kaplan-Meier survival plots were used to analyze the dichotomized data (using the median as a cutoff). Results: The median survival of TM patients was 49 months (95% CI: 36 to not reached) and that of BM patients was 20 months (95% CI: 15–34; p < 0.0001); however, if the postchemoradiation SUV was <4.6 (4.6 = median SUV), the OS of TM and BM patients was not significantly different (p = 0.22). In the multivariate Cox model, postchemoradiation SUV (p = 0.02), baseline stage (p = 0.03), histology grade (p = 0.01), and having surgery (p = 0.004) were independent prognosticators for OS and DFS. Conclusions: These data document that the low postchemoradiation SUV in both TM and BM patients defines clinical aggression and has a similar clinical outcome. Systematic validation of PET changes, in this setting, can facilitate individualization of therapy of LGC patients.

Critical role of surgery in patients with gastroesophageal carcinoma with a poor prognosis after chemoradiation as defined by positron emission tomography

The prognosis of patients with localized gastroesophageal carcinoma (LGC) can be defined after chemoradiation by the standardized uptake value (SUV) of positron emission tomography (PET). High SUV (HSUV) after chemoradiation portends a poor prognosis. The authors retrospectively examined the role of surgery in patients with HSUV after chemoradiation. The authors analyzed the postchemoradiation PET scans of 204 LGC patients. One hundred twenty-nine patients had HSUV. Two postchemoradiation variables were evaluated: SUV and surgery and their association with overall survival (OS) and event-free survival (EFS). The log-rank test, multivariate Cox proportional hazards model, and Kaplan-Meier survival plots were used to assess the association between OS or EFS and the dichotomized SUV (using the median SUV as the cutoff) and surgery. The median SUV was 4.6. The OS of the 52 patients who had an SUV above the median and did not undergo surgery (HSUV-NS) (median OS, 1.22 years; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 1.02-2.16 years) was much shorter than that of the 77 patients with an SUV above the median who underwent surgery (HSUV-S) (median OS, 2.7 years; 95% CI, 2.43 years to not reached [P<.0001]). Similarly, the EFS for patients with HSUV-NS was significantly shorter than that for patients with HSUV-S (P=.001). In the multivariate analyses, patients who underwent surgery (irrespective of SUV) had a lower risk of death (P=.0001) and disease progression (P=.002). The data from the current study suggest that surgery may prolong OS and EFS in patients with a poor prognosis after chemoradiation as defined by PET. However, these data need confirmation.

Positron emission tomography in patients with aggressive fibromatosis/desmoid tumours undergoing therapy with imatinib

We used (18)F-FDG PET to evaluate the FDG uptake in patients with aggressive fibromatosis (AF, also known as desmoid tumours) undergoing therapy with imatinib (imatinib mesylate, Glivec). The pilot study included nine patients with progressive AF receiving oral treatment with imatinib at a daily dose of 800 mg. Patients were examined using PET prior to the start of therapy and during imatinib treatment. Restaging according to the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) was performed in parallel using CT and/or MRI and served as reference. The clinical outcomes in nine evaluable patients were as follows: seven patients with stable disease, and two patients with progressive disease. A 27% decrease in the median average standardized uptake value (SUV) of the sequential PET examinations was demonstrated in all evaluable patients with three patients (33%) showing a decrease in SUV of more than 40% (48%, 52% and 54%, respectively); no patient showed a substantial increase in SUV. To our knowledge, this is the first series of AF patients undergoing treatment with imatinib and monitored using sequential PET imaging, that allows detection of SUV changes after imatinib induction, thus helping to decide whether treatment should be continued or not.

18f-fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) as a predictive biomarker in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC).

e14120 Background:Information on the prognostic and predictive role of FDG-PET in the management of patients (pts) with mCRC is limited. The growing complexity of current therapies and the increasing number of agents to be tested in this disease warrants better understanding of the role of FDG-PET in earlier treatment decisions. Methods: Consecutive pts with 2 or more serial FDG-PET scans at baseline and during the treatment course were studied. Tumor standardized uptake value (SUV) and its percentage change (%DSUV) were each studied for their potential association with time to progression (TTP) via univariate Cox models to estimate the hazard ratio (HR) for progression. Results: 31 pts (median age 58.4 yrs) with mCRC were studied. 87% of pts were treated in the first line setting. 48% had received prior adjuvant therapy. 61%, 22% and 13% received oxaliplatin based, irinotecan based, and fluropyrimidine only regimens, respectively. 84% received concurrent bevacizumab. Median pretreatment SUV was 9.0 (range 1.7-46.0); median post treatment SUV was 4.0 (range 0 - 13.5); median %DSUV was -70.7 (range -10% to -100%). Median interval between scans was 3.0 months. 9 (29%) patients had no tumor uptake on post treatment scans. 55% and 39% of pts had partial response and stable disease (RECIST criteria), respectively. Median TTP was 11.9 months (90% CI: 9.9–13.7 mos), with a median follow-up time for progression of 15.4 months. The HRs for baseline SUV and %DSUV were 1.009 (90% CI: 0.978–1.040, p = 0.635) and 1.014 (90% CI: 1.002–1.026, p = 0.049), respectively. Among the 20 pts with inter-scan interval < 4 months, the median TTP of pts with posttreatment SUV = 0 was 9.7 months vs. 6.6 months for pts with post-treatment SUV > 0. TTP duration did not differ significantly (p = 0.085). Conclusions: Systemic therapy substantially decreased the SUV on follow up PET scans in pts treated for mCRC. However, no significant association was seen between either baseline SUV or %DSUV and TTP. Further work is needed to optimize and standardize evaluation of tumor response in mCRC patients with FDG- PET. No significant financial relationships to disclose.

Positron emission tomography as a noninvasive tool to monitor soft tissue sarcoma patients under therapy with trabectedin.

e20526 Background: We used 2-deoxy-2-[18F] fluoro-D-glucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) to evaluate the FDG uptake in patients with metastatic soft tissue sarcoma (STS) undergoing therapy with Ecteinascidin-743 (ET-743, Trabectedin, Yondelis). Methods: The exploratory analysis at the University of Heidelberg included nine patients with metastatic STS receiving a minimum of one cycle of treatment with trabectedin. Patients were examined using PET prior to onset of therapy and after completion of one or three cycles of trabectedin. Restaging according to the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) was performed in parallel using computed tomography (CT) and/or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and served for reference. Results: Clinical outcome of nine evaluable patients was as follows: one patient with partial response (PR), three patients with stable disease (SD), and five patients with progressive disease (PD). The median progression-free survival from the date of therapy induction for all patients was 3.9 months [range: 0-10] with a median follow-up of 5.6 months [range: 1-10]. The median average standardized uptake value (SUV) prior to onset of therapy with trabectedin was 7.6 [range: 1.2-19.3] versus 5.8 [range: 1.4-20.1] after treatment. The median SUVmax was 14.1 [range: 4.5-28.7] prior to therapy with trabectedin versus 16.1 [range: 6.1-32.4] following treatment. A more than 40% decrease of the SUV of sequential PET examination could be demonstrated for one responding patient in PR (SUV: 6.7 > 3.5, decrease of 48 % ; SUVmax: 13.5 > 6.1, decrease of 54 %), whereas patients with SD or PD showed a stable SUV, but no increase in SUV. Conclusions: This small series of patients being treated with trabectedin and monitored using sequential PET imaging demonstrated SUV stabilization in nearly all analysed patients. More patient data will have to be collected to validate these findings. No significant financial relationships to disclose.

Rapid Disease Progression With Delay in Treatment of Non–Small-Cell Lung Cancer

To assess rate of disease progression from diagnosis to initiation of treatment for Stage I-IIIB non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Forty patients with NSCLC underwent at least two sets of computed tomography (CT) and 18-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (PET) scans at various time intervals before treatment. Progression was defined as development of any new lymph node involvement, site of disease, or stage change. Median time interval between first and second CT scans was 13.4 weeks, and between first and second PET scans was 9.0 weeks. Median initial primary maximum tumor dimension (MTD) was 3.5 cm (0.6-8.5 cm) with a median standardized uptake value (SUV) of 13.0 (1.7-38.5). The median MTD increased by a median of 1.0 cm (mean, 1.6 cm) between scans for a median relative MTD increase of 35% (mean, 59%). Nineteen patients (48%) progressed between scans. Rate of any progression was 13%, 31%, and 46% at 4, 8, and 16 weeks, respectively. Upstaging occurred in 3%, 13%, and 21% at these intervals. Distant metastasis became evident in 3%, 13%, and 13% after 4, 8, and 16 weeks, respectively. T and N stage were associated with progression, whereas histology, grade, sex, age, and maximum SUV were not. At 3 years, overall survival for Stage III patients with vs. without progression was 18% vs. 67%, p = 0.05. With NSCLC, treatment delay can lead to disease progression. Diagnosis, staging, and treatment initiation should be expedited. After 4-8 weeks of delay, complete restaging should be strongly considered.

Prognostic Value of Fluorodeoxyglucose Uptake in Non-small Cell Lung Cancer: Time for Standardization and Validation

Most clinical studies on the use of positron emission tomography with fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG-PET) in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) have focused on its role in noninvasive diagnosis and staging.1 Another striking feature of the PET lung cancer literature is that (semi) quantitative measures of FDG uptake may also serve as a surrogate marker of the biologic aggressiveness of the tumor. Initial in vitro studies demonstrated that FDG uptake is related to the number of viable tumor cells and their doubling time.2 This led to the hypothesis that FDG uptake might be related to outcome, and numerous studies reported on the potential use of FDG-PET in the prediction of recurrence and survival rates of NSCLC, either newly diagnosed or after induction therapy in multimodality approaches.3 More recent studies unraveled how FDG uptake might be related to the different biologic pathways involved in lung cancer progression.4,5 A high-baseline FDG uptake was also reported to be a predictor of poor outcome for breast, thyroid, esophageal, and colorectal cancer, as well as sarcomas and gliomas. In this issue of Journal of Thoracic Oncology, Paesmans et al.6 report on an updated systematic review of 21 evaluable studies relating the degree of FDG uptake of the primary tumor at diagnosis to the prognosis of 2637 patients. Most of these studies were retrospective single-institution studies in predominantly surgical cohorts of patients. They examined the correlation of FDG uptake of the primary tumor, measured as standardized uptake value (SUV), and survival. Patients were dichotomized in low and high SUV categories by using the median SUV or the “best cutoff ” SUV. Overall, patients with high SUV had a significantly worse prognosis: hazard ratio 2.1 (95% confidence interval: 1.72–2.59), a result in line with their previous report,7 but with sharper confidence intervals. Sensitivity analyses for period of publication or method of dichotomization gave small variations in the results. Several clinical and methodological elements need to be considered when trying to interpret this observation. First, the tumor, node, metastasis stage at diagnosis remains the most important prognostic factor, even if it does not give an explanation for the differences in survival within a similar stage, probably due to biologic factors of tumor aggressiveness, which could be estimated by metabolic imaging of FDG uptake. However, as the authors acknowledge, this systematic review does not allow to assess the independent prognostic value of SUV compared with tumor, node, metastasis stage, because many studies in it did not report multivariate analysis of the different prognostic factors. Their results also suggest that the prognostic value of FDG uptake may be more important in early-stage NSCLC, possibly because the prognostic impact of FDG uptake is too much diluted in patients with advanced stage and major anatomic extent of the tumor. Second, the measuring tool SUV is not “standardized” at all.8 Indeed, a variety of factors can affect the (semi)quantitative determination of FDG uptake. Patient factors are body weight and plasma glucose level. Imaging acquisition factors are the dose of FDG

Primary Tumor Standardized Uptake Value Measured on Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography Is of Prognostic Value for Survival in Non-small Cell Lung Cancer: Update of a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis by the European Lung Cancer Working Party for the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer Staging Project

Few validated prognostic factors are available for survival in patients with lung cancer. [F]-fluoro-2-deoxy-d-glucose positron emission tomography has been shown to be of additional value to conventional imaging for staging lung cancer. The prognostic value of this lung tumor metabolic activity was studied in a first systematic review of studies published until 2006. As further studies have appeared since 2006, this report has as objective to confirm and to estimate with less variability the prognostic value of primary tumor standardized uptake value (SUV) measured with [F]-fluoro-2-deoxy-d-glucose positron emission tomography on the basis of an updated search of eligible studies. Ten additional studies were eligible for the updated review and eight of them provided, in the publication, data allowing survival results aggregation. All together, 21 studies were analyzed. Comparing patients with low and high SUV, using preferentially the median SUV value of each study as threshold, we obtained a poor prognostic value for high SUV compared with low SUV with an overall combined hazard ratio of 2.08, significantly different from one with a 95% confidence interval ranging from 1.69 to 2.56. No interaction between older and newer studies was detectable (P = 0.60) as well as between studies having selected non metastatic patients or studies without selection criterion related to stage (P = 0.46). We confirmed the results of our previous review showing that SUV is potentially a very interesting factor for predicting patient outcome. We believe that a meta-analysis based on individual patient data would be of great value as allowing to assess the independent prognostic value, to take into account some factors responsible for heterogeneity between studies (SUV assessment method, disease stage, and histology), and to update survival data. We are planning to conduct such a meta-analysis on behalf of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer Staging Project.

The value of 18F‐fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography for staging of primary extranodal head and neck lymphomas

Using a retrospective approach, the aim of this study was to confirm the previously described value of fluorine-18-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography ((18)F-FDG-PET/CT) in patients with primary extranodal lymphoma of the head and neck region. Additionally, the clinical significance of the semiquantitative analysis of the standardized uptake value (SUV), its predictive role in the follow-up setting, and its value in detection of synchronous primaries were studied. Retrospective chart review. Twenty-six patients with a primary extranodal head and neck lymphoma (22 diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, one Hodgkin's lymphoma, three malignant T-cell lymphomas) were included. We retrospectively evaluated the clinical outcomes according to the maximum standardized uptake values of the primary lesion (SUV(max)) and whether a positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) was performed or not in the follow-up studies. The median SUV(max) was chosen as the cutoff value. The patients were then grouped as those with either low or high SUV(max), respective to the cutoff value. Event-free survival and cumulative survival were endpoints of interest. Nineteen patients (73%) were above the age of 60 years; the median age was 70 years (range, 28-87 years). Most primary sites were in the Waldeyer's ring (15 patients, 60%), whereas in four patients (27%) only the palatine tonsil was affected. The SUV(max) ranged from 5.8 to 33.9. In one patient, relevant fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) uptake within the intestine revealed a cecal adenocarcinoma as a secondary primary. Twenty of the 25 clinically followed patients (80%) achieved complete remission after treatment. Patients with high SUV(max) showed favorable survival (log-rank test, P = .044). A tendency for longer survival within the group with follow-up PET/CT studies could be noted but with no significant statistical difference (P = .349). (18)F-FDG-PET/CT imaging is a potent primary staging tool. It also has application as an instrument for evaluation of follow-up and response to therapy in patients suffering from primary extranodal lymphoma and for detection of secondary malignancies. Furthermore, (18)F-FDG uptake by the primary lesion may be related to better survival.

18F-FDG PET of Locally Invasive Breast Cancer and Association of Estrogen Receptor Status with Standardized Uptake Value: Microarray and Immunohistochemical Analysis

PET imaging is useful for evaluating locally advanced primary breast cancer. Expression of specific molecular markers in these cancers, such as estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), and HER2 status, has direct prognostic and therapeutic implications in patient management. This study aimed to determine whether a relationship exists between tumor glucose use and important molecular markers in invasive breast cancer. For our purposes, tumor glucose use is quantified by the PET-derived parameter maximum standardized uptake value (SUV). Breast tumors from 36 patients were excised and examined histologically after PET. ER, PR, and HER2 status were determined for all lesions histopathologically. In addition, genomewide expression for a subset of 20 tumors was analyzed using the human genome U133A oligonucleotide microarray. A significant association was found between estrogen ER status and lesion SUV. ER-negative tumors (n = 17; median SUV, 8.5) demonstrated a significantly higher maximum SUV than did ER-positive tumors (n = 19; median SUV, 4.0) (P < 0.001). No significant association existed between SUV and PR status, HER2/neu status, lymph node involvement, or tumor size. Unsupervised hierarchic clustering of the 20 genetically profiled cancers segregated tumor samples into 2 primary groups of 10 patients each, largely corresponding to ER status. In locally invasive primary breast cancer, ER-negative tumors display higher (18)F-FDG uptake than ER-positive tumors. Microarray analysis confirms these data and identifies genes associated with increased glucose use as measured by PET. These genes significantly overlap those of a previously validated ER-status molecular phenotype. These preliminary data support a growing body of evidence that ER-positive and ER-negative breast cancers have distinct disease-specific patterns. Further validation prospectively and with larger numbers will be required to establish a robust molecular signature for metabolic uptake and patterns of aggressive behavior in advanced breast cancer.

Fluorodeoxyglucose Uptake Measured by Positron Emission Tomography and Standardized Uptake Value Predicts Long-Term Survival of CT Screening Detected Lung Cancer in Heavy Smokers

Fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) has proven its value in the diagnosis of undetermined pulmonary lesions, lung cancer staging, and assessment of prognosis. Purpose of this study is to clarify whether standardized uptake value (SUV) can predict clinical outcome of computed tomography (CT) screening detected lung cancer. We tested the predictive value of FDG-PET using SUV on long-term survival of 34 lung cancer patients, detected from 1035 heavy smokers > or = 50 years monitored by annual low-dose CT for 5 years, with a median follow-up of 75 months from diagnosis. PET scan was performed in 34 (89%) of 38 lung cancer patients diagnosed during the 5 years of screening and was positive in 32 (94%). Complete resection was achieved in 30 cases (88%), 20 (59%) were pathologic stage I and 23 (68%) were adenocarcinoma. Median SUV was 5.0 overall, being significantly lower in stage I (2.5 vs. 10.1, p = 0.001) and in adenocarcinoma (2.5 vs. 13.0, p = 0.001). The 5-year survival of lung cancer patients was 100% for SUV levels < or = 2.5, 60% for SUV more than 2.5 and less than 8, and only 20% for SUV > or = 8 (p = 0.001). FDG-PET using SUV can predict long-term survival of screening detected lung cancer, in a noninvasive manner. Metabolic assessment of biologic behavior might improve the clinical management of CT-detected lung cancer and reduce the risk of unnecessary treatments for indolent disease.

Positron emission tomography scanning in the setting of post‐transplant lymphoproliferative disorders

Post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD) is a serious complication of transplantation. We examined the role of positron emission tomography (PET) scanning in PTLD. All patients treated for PTLD from 2001-2006 who also underwent PET scans were reviewed. Nineteen PTLD patients were included. Seventeen patients had PET scans for staging at diagnosis. Of these, two patients with primary central nervous system lymphoma and one patient with only bone marrow involvement after complete surgical resection of a bowel lesion had no abnormalities on CT or PET scan. The remaining patients had measurable, extracranial disease by CT scan and PET scan. The median maximum standard uptake value was 8.2 (range 3-30). Thirteen patients had a PET scan following treatment. Eleven of 13 patients had a complete response (CR). Two of 13 patients had persistent disease following therapy; in one of these patients, relapsed disease was documented by PET scan alone. Of the 11 patients with CR, three patients relapsed shortly thereafter. In each case, at the time of relapse, the PET scan confirmed recurrent disease regardless of histopathologic subtype. PET scans may have a role in the staging and follow-up of patients with PTLD. Additional prospective studies are warranted.

Association of F18-fluoro-ethyl-tyrosin uptake and 5-aminolevulinic acid-induced fluorescence in gliomas

Malignant gliomas are highly infiltrative tumours with a fatal prognosis. F18-fluoroethyl-tyrosine (FET)-positron emission tomography (PET) often reveals a broader extension of these tumours compared with contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Complete resection of the contrast-enhancing lesion is aspired. Fluorescence-guided resection using 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) improved the extent of resection. In this study, we investigated whether the FET uptake correlates with the extent of resection using 5-ALA-induced fluorescence. Thirteen patients who underwent preoperative and postoperative MRI, FET-PET and fluorescence-guided neuronavigated resection were included in this study. The areas in which intraoperative fluorescence terminated the resection were marked. After fusion of PET and MRI, the standardized uptake value (SUV) of FET related to normal brain (SUV(R)) was measured in regions of interest corresponding to resected and remaining tissue, respectively. Receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis determined the optimal threshold of the relative SUV anticipating 5-ALA-induced fluorescence. During resection a vivid fluorescence was present in all patients. Histology revealed glioblastomas in 11 cases, an anaplastic astrocytoma in one case and a low-grade astrocytoma in one case. The median FET SUV(R) was higher in areas corresponding to the fluorescent tumour compared with the non-fluorescent normal brain (2.321 vs 1.142, p < 0.0001, t-test). A SUV(R) greater than 1.374 predicted the fluorescence with a sensitivity of 0.87 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.74-0.94] and a specificity of 0.94 (CI: 0.84-0.99). The area under the ROC curve was 0.9656 (CI: 0.9364-0.9948). FET uptake predicts the 5-ALA-induced fluorescence in glioma patients. Thus, FET-PET provides useful information for planning glioma resection.

The clinical application of 18F‐fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography to predict survival in patients with operable esophageal cancer

Metabolic tumor activity using (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) was believed to have a predictive value for patient outcome in malignancies. The objective of the current study was to assess the prognostic effectiveness of the highest standardized uptake value (SUV) in the primary or regional area (peak SUV) and the number of PET-positive lymph nodes in esophageal cancer. The authors retrospectively reviewed their experience with 184 consecutive esophageal cancer patients imaged preoperatively using FDG-PET scanning. The median peak SUV was 4.5 (range, 1.4-21.9). The survival curve was analyzed using the median peak SUV as the cutoff value. Comparison of each group and clinicopathologic characteristics revealed significant associations between peak SUV and each of the following factors: tumor status (P < .001), lymph node status (P < .001), metastatic status (P < .05), stage of disease (P < .001), number of PET-positive lymph nodes (P < .001), and the number of histologically positive lymph nodes (P < .001). The 5-year overall survival (OS) rate for patients having FDG uptake with a peak SUV > or =4.5 was 47% and that for patients with a peak SUV <4.5 was 76% (P < .0001). On multivariate survival analysis using the Cox proportional hazards model, peak SUV and the number of PET-positive lymph nodes were found to be independent predictive factors for OS. The number of PET-positive lymph nodes was a single prognostic factor predicting both disease-free survival and OS. Pretreatment PET cannot only potentially diagnose the extent of disease, but also may be predictive of patient survival after esophageal cancer resection.

Early predictive value of 18F-FDG-PET assessment in advanced esophagogastric junction and gastric cancer patients treated with cetuximab-containing therapy

e15601 Background: 18F-FDG-PET/CT (PET) was reported to predict the pathological response during preoperative chemotherapy in esophagogastric junction (GEJ) or gastric (G) cancer pts. The aim of this study is to evaluate the usefulness of an early change in PET at several time-points in predicting response to cetuximab-containing therapy in pts with advanced GEJ or G cancer. Methods: We evaluated 51 pts with locally advanced/metastatic GEJ or G adenocarcinoma who underwent a first line cetuximab- treatment in two Italian phase II studies. Twenty nine pts (GEJ/G = 5/24; locally advanced/metastatic = 2/27) received cetuximab in combination with cisplatin/docetaxel (DOCETUX study) and 22 pts (GEJ/G = 2/20; locally advanced/metastatic = 3/19) received cetuximab in combination with FOLFIRI (FOLCETUX Study). PET scans were performed at baseline, and in FDG-avid pts, again on day 21 in the DOCETUX study and on day 42 in the FOLCETUX study. Metabolic response was defined as a decrease in maximum standard uptake value (SUV) ≥35% on the basis of our previous study (Di Fabio et al., Gastric Cancer 10:221–227, 2007).Objective response, according to RECIST criteria, was assessed by CT scan at baseline and every 6 weeks. Results: Five pts (10.2%) had FDG non- avid tumor (all pts with signet cell carcinoma). In the 46 FDG-avid tumor pts, the median SUV at baseline was 10.3 (range 5.0 - 36.4). The response rate (RR) was significantly higher in pts with a drop ≥35% in SUV from baseline to day 42: 83% (10/12 pts) in metabolic responders vs. 25% (2/8 pts) in non-metabolic responders (p= 0.019). In contrast, the SUV change at day 21 did not correlate with objective response: RR 57.1% (8/14 pts) in metabolic responders vs. 41.7% (5/12 pts) in non-metabolic responders (p= 0.695). The RR in non-avid tumor pts was 20% (1/5 pts). Conclusions.Our study suggests that in advanced gastric cancer pts with FDG-avid tumor the PET predicts objective response at day 42, but not at day 21. A PET response assessment can provide an opportunity to change the treatment in non-responder pts. Prospective trials defining the role of PET in gastric cancer are warranted. No significant financial relationships to disclose.

Pretreatment FDG‐PET standardized uptake value as a prognostic factor for outcome in head and neck cancer

We studied the potential prognostic significance of pretreatment 18-fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) standardized uptake value (SUV) in squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN). A retrospective review of the pretreatment FDG-PET scans of 60 patients with SCCHN was performed. All patients received radiotherapy and 37 also received concurrent chemotherapy. SUV was calculated by 2 nuclear-medicine physicians who were blinded to the clinical data. Disease-free survival (DFS) was analyzed with respect to SUV (and other potential prognostic factors). The median SUV was 7.2 (range, 1-24.7); 34 patients (57%) had SUV < 9.0 compared with 26 patients (43%) with an SUV > or = 9.0. The group with low SUV had significantly better 2-year DFS compared with the high SUV group (72% vs 37%), p = .007. On multivariate analysis, stage and age were also associated with DFS, but SUV remained an independent predictor of DFS (hazard ratio: 1.08; p = .016). SUV was significantly associated with outcome after modern definitive therapy of SCCHN.

Importance of fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) and endoscopic ultrasonography parameters in predicting survival following surgery for esophageal cancer

To assess the prognostic importance of standardized uptake value (SUV) for 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) at positron emission tomography (PET) and of EUS parameters, in esophageal cancer patients primarily treated by surgery. Between October 2002 and August 2004 a prospective cohort study involved 125 patients, with histologically proven cancer of the esophagus, without evidence of distant metastases or locally irresectable disease based on extensive preoperative work-up, and fit to undergo major surgery. Follow-up was complete until October 2006, ensuring a minimal potential follow-up of 25 months. The median SUV was 0.27 (interquartile range 0.13 - 0.45), and was used as cutoff value between high (n = 62) and low (n = 63) SUV. Patients with a high SUV had a significantly worse disease-specific survival compared with patients with a low SUV (P = 0.04). Tumor location (P = 0.005), EUS T stage (P < 0.001), EUS N stage (P = 0.006) and clinical stage (P < 0.006) were also associated with disease-specific survival. However, in multivariate analysis only EUS T stage appeared to be of independent prognostic significance (P = 0.007). In esophageal cancer patients, EUS T stage, EUS N stage, location and SUV of the primary tumor are pretreatment factors that are associated with disease-specific survival. However, only EUS T stage is an independent prognostic factor.

Surgical outcome of solid pseudopapillary tumor of the pancreas

The best surgical treatment for solid pseudopapillary tumor of the pancreas is a matter of debate. Fourteen patients with solid pseudopapillary tumor of the pancreas who underwent surgical resection, including enucleation, between June 1996 and January 2007 were retrospectively analyzed to evaluate the effect of the treatment. The mean age of the patients was 39 years (range, 15 to 59 years). The mean size of the tumor was 4.4 cm (range, 2.0 to 12 cm). Ten tumors (71%) had a well-defined capsule, and 6 tumors (43%) extended beyond the pancreas. Eight of the 14 tumors (57%) had a cystic component, and calcification was observed in 6 tumors (43%). The frequency of microscopic venous invasion, lymphatic invasion, and nerve invasion was 29% (4 of 14), 0%, and 21% (3 of 14), respectively. No lymph node involvement or liver metastasis was observed. Six patients underwent positron emission tomography with 2-deoxy-2-[(18)F] fluoro-D-glucose (FDG), and stronger FDG accumulation compared with the surrounding pancreatic parenchyma was observed in 5 of the 6 patients. The median standardized uptake value (SUV) was 6.3 (range, 0.9 to 42.8). Distal pancreatectomy (n = 5), subtotal stomach-preserving pancreatoduodenectomy (n = 3), local resection (n = 3), enucleation (n = 2), and duodenum-preserving pancreatic head resection (n = 1) were performed. Overall morbidity and mortality rates were 43% and 0%, respectively. All patients were still alive without recurrent disease after a median follow-up of 46 months. Patients with solid pseudopapillary tumor of the pancreas had a favorable outcome after surgical treatment, including enucleation.