SUVmax Of Primary Tumor Research Articles

Prognostic effect of incongruous lymph node status in early-stage non-small cell lung cancer

IntroductionTumor recurrence is an important issue for patients with stage I non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and adjuvant therapy is considered of no benefit to a tumor less than 4 cm. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) on tumor recurrence in patients with a completely resected pN0 NSCLC less than 4 cm. MethodsBetween January 2011 and December 2016, 211 consecutive patients with diagnoses of stage I NSCLC less than 4 cm after complete resection were included. The maximum of standard uptake value (SUVmax) of primary tumor and the presence of positive lymph nodes on PET/CT scans were documented. Disease-free survival was evaluated by the Kaplan-Meier method and recurrence risk factors were identified by univariable and multivariable analyses. ResultsPatients with positive lymph nodes on PET/CT had a lower 5-year disease-free survival (37.6% vs 72.7%, p < 0.001). Multivariable analysis demonstrated that the tumor SUVmax >2.93, the presence of positive lymph nodes on PET/CT, and poor differentiation were significant factors for tumor recurrence. Patients with the tumor SUVmax >2.93 and positive lymph nodes on PET/CT simultaneously had 5.33-fold increase in the risk of recurrence (p < 0.001). ConclusionThe presence of positive lymph nodes on PET/CT scans can be a good indicator in predicting patients with high risk of developing recurrence in pN0 NSCLC less than 4 cm. This result helps identify patients likely to benefit from adjuvant therapy.

Effect of aspirin on PET parameters in primary non-small cell lung cancer and its relationship with prognosis

Background18 F-FDG is a glucose analogue whose metabolic index SUV can effectively reflect the metabolic level of tumor microenvironment. Aspirin can affect the uptake of 18F-FDG by cancer cells, reducing the SUVmax value of primary tumors, exerting antitumor effect. This study aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of long-term aspirin and the relationship between aspirin intake and PET parameters value of primary tumor in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).MethodsEighty-one NSCLC patients were recruited and divided into two groups: aspirin medication group and control group, who underwent surgery and had pathological diagnosis data between January 2012 and December 2016. Clinical characteristics were retrospective analyzed to evaluate the possibility of clinical prognosis, respectively. Kaplan-Meier curves and a Cox proportional hazard model were applied to evaluate the predictors of prognosis.ResultsThe PET/CT SUVmax of the primary tumor in the aspirin group was lower than that in the control group (P < 0.05). Compared with the control group, the SUVmax, SUVmean and TLG of the primary tumor in aspirin group were lower, but the MTV value had no significant difference. Cox regression analysis showed that N stage and TNM stage were predictors of the prognosis. There was a significant difference in the use of aspirin in NSCLC patients.ConclusionAspirin can reduce SUVmax, SUVmean and TLG in primary tumor and aspirin can improve the prognosis of patients with NSCLC.

The Impact of Primary Tumor and Locoregional Metastatic Lymph Node SUVmax on Predicting Survival in Patients with Rectal Cancer.

Objectives:The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of maximum standard uptake value (SUVmax) of the primary tumor and locoregional metastatic lymph node in predicting survival in patients with the preoperative rectal adenocarcinoma.Methods:One hundred and fifteen patients [mean age ± standard deviation (SD): 58.7±11.4 years] with biopsy-proven rectal adenocarcinoma underwent 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) imaging for the staging were included in this study. All patients were followed-up for a minimum of 12 months (mean ± SD: 29.7±13.5 months). Tumor-node-metastasis 2017 clinical staging, SUVmax of the primary rectal tumor and locoregional lymph nodes on the PET/CT studies were evaluated.Results:All patients had increased FDG activity of the primary tumor. The mean ± SD SUVmax of the primary tumor and locoregional metastatic lymph node were 21.0±9.1 and 4.6±2.8, respectively. Primary tumor SUVmax did not have an effect on predicting survival (p=0.525) however locoregional metastatic lymph node SUVmax had an effect (p<0.05) on predicting survival. Clinical stage of the disease was a factor predicting survival (p<0.001).Conclusion:18F-FDG PET/CT is an effective imaging modality for detecting primary tumors and metastases in rectal adenocarcinoma and clinical stage assessment with PET/CT had an effect on predicting survival. Furthermore, in our study locoregional lymph node SUVmaks was defined as a factor in predicting survival.

Retrospective correlation of 68ga-psma uptake with clinical parameters in prostate cancer patients undergoing definitive radiotherapy.

The aim of the study is to investigate the correlation between the intensity of prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) uptake in primary tumor and clinico-pathological characteristics of non-metastatic prostate cancer patients treated with definitive radiotherapy (RT). Using the clinical data of 201 prostate cancer patients who were referred for 68Ga-PSMA-positron emission tomography (PET/CT) for staging and RT planning, we analyzed the correlations among intermediate- or high-risk disease based on Gleason score (GS), prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level, D'Amico risk group classification, and maximum standardized uptake (SUVmax) of primary tumor. Primary tumor was visualized via 68Ga-PSMA-PET/CT scan in 192 patients (95.5%). The median SUVmax of primary tumor and metastatic lymph node were 13.2 (range 3.3-83.7) and 11.4 (range 3.6-64.5), respectively. A significant moderate correlation was observed between PSA level and median tumor SUVmax as measured by 68Ga-PSMA-PET/CT (Spearman = 0.425; p < 0.001). Patients with serum PSA > 10ng/mL, GS > 7, D'Amico high-risk group classification, and pelvic lymph node metastasis had significantly higher tracer uptake in primary tumor than their counterparts. The median SUVmax of primary tumor was highest in patients with GS 9. The primary tumor detection rates of 68Ga-PSMA-PET/CT were 83%, 92%, and 99% for patients with serum PSA ≤ 5.0ng/mL (14 patients, 7%), PSA 5.1-10.0ng/mL (45 patients, 22%), and PSA > 10ng/mL (142 patients, 71%), respectively. We demonstrated a correlation between prostate tumor characteristics and PSMA tracer uptake. Patients with serum PSA > 10ng/mL, GS > 7, D'Amico high-risk group classification, and pelvic lymph node metastasis had significantly higher SUV than their counterparts. In addition, the primary tumor detection rate was higher in patients with serum PSA > 10ng/mL and GS > 7.

The effect of androgen deprivation therapy on 68GA-PSMA-tracer uptake in nonmetastatic prostate cancer patients.

22 Background: To evaluate the effect of neoadjuvant androgen deprivation treatment (ADT) on prostate specific membrane antigen (PSMA) tracer uptake demonstrated in 68Ga-PSMA-positron emission tomography (PET/CT) in non-metastatic hormone-naïve prostate cancer patients. Methods: The clinical data of 108 prostate cancer patients who received neoadjuvant ADT were retrospectively analyzed. All patients had a baseline 68Ga-PSMA-PET/CT scan and a second scan was delivered median of 2.9 months after initiation of ADT. Patients with clinical and radiological evidence of distant metastasis were excluded from the study. The maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) of primary tumor (SUVp) and metastatic lymph nodes (SUVln) as well as PSA response were assessed between pre- and post-ADT 68Ga-PSMA-PET/CT scans. Results: The median SUVp and SUVln were 14.0 (range, 4.9 – 78.4) and 13.2 (range, 3.6 – 64.5), respectively. There was a significant moderate correlation between baseline serum PSA and SUVp (Spearman = 0.513, p&lt;0.001). There were significant decreases in post-treatment serum PSA, SUVp, and SUVp. A decrease in SUVp was seen in 91 patients (84%) with a median value of 66% (range, 5% – 100%), while 17 patients (16%) had no change in or an increase in PSMA tracer uptake with a median value of 24% (range, 0% – 198%). Patients with Gleason score (GS) of 7 had significantly higher metabolic response rates compared to other patients. The disease progression was significantly higher only in patients with GS &gt; 7 disease compared to GS 7 disease. The PSA response to ADT was lowest in patients with ISUP high-grade tumors. A total of 16 patients (15%) had progressive disease, and in 9 patients (8%), radiotherapy decisions were modified according to post-treatment 68Ga-PSMA-PET/CT scans. Conclusions: The current study includes the largest number of patients analyzed to date and demonstrates that ADT causes a significant decrease in serum PSA values and SUVp and SUVln. The authors demonstrate that 68Ga-PSMA-PET/CT may be used as a quantitative imaging modality after neoadjuvant ADT in hormone-naïve non-metastatic PC patients.

Metabolic Characteristics and Diagnostic Contribution of 18F-FDG PET/CT in Gastric Carcinomas

Objectives:The aim of this study was to evaluate 18F-fluoro-2-deoxy-glucose (FDG) uptake patterns in primary tumors and metastatic lesions, and also to assess the diagnostic contribution of positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) in the initial staging of gastric cancer (GC).Methods:The total number of 341 patients with GC were included in this study. All 18F-FDG PET/CT imagings were performed for initial staging. The maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) of primary tumor, obtained from 18F-FDG PET/CT imaging was compared between subtypes of GC.Results:Mean SUVmax of 339 patients’ primary tumor was 12.9±8.6. The highest mean SUVmax was detected in patients with medullary subtype GC (17.8±9.9) while the lowest mean SUVmax (9.7±7.6) was seen in signet ring cell carcinoma (SRCC). The primary mean SUVmax was found statistically higher in tubular adenocarcinoma (TAC) group than SRCC group (p<0.001). Higher SUVmax values were found statistically significantly correlated with advanced age (aged ≥60) and increased tumor size (>3 cm) in patients with TAC (p=0.03). Primary tumor SUVmax was found statistically higher in regional lymph node (RLN) positive patients than in RLN negative patients in TAC and SRCC groups (p<0.001 and p=0.012, respectivelly). Also, in patients with SRCC, SUVmax was significantly higher in the distant metastatic group than in the group without metastasis (p=0.025).Conclusion:Increased primary tumor SUVmax was associated with some of clinical parameters such as age and RLN metastasis in patients with TAC. However, there was no relationship between distant metastatic state and primary tumor 18F-FDG uptake in TAC. However, high SUVmax of primary tumor in SRCC was associated with regional and distant metastasis, and primary tumor 18F-FDG uptake may be a prognostic value for this subgroup.

Prognosis-Predicting Model Based on [18F]fluorodeoxyglucose PET Metabolic Parameters in Locally Advanced Cervical Cancer Patients Treated with Concurrent Chemoradiotherapy: Multi-Center Retrospective Study.

This study aimed to develop a prognosis-predicting model based on [18F]fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (18F-FDG PET/CT) and clinicopathologic factors in locally advanced cervical cancer patients treated with concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT). The medical records of 270 locally advanced cervical cancer patients who were treated with CCRT were collected from three institutions and reviewed retrospectively. A nomogram was used for predicting 2-year disease-free survival (DFS) and 5-year overall survival (OS) based on Cox proportional hazards regression. Predictor variables included nodal maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax), primary tumor SUVmax, age, tumor size, stage, serum squamous cell carcinoma antigen level, and human papillomavirus status. Internal nomogram validation was performed. A nomogram for predicting the 2-year DFS and 5-year OS was constructed using six and seven parameters, respectively. With a focus on 2-year DFS, our model found nodal SUVmax to be the highest weighted negative prognostic factor. With a focus on 5-year OS, young age was the highest weighted negative prognostic factor. The concordance index was 0.75 and 0.78 for the 2-year DFS and 5-year OS, respectively. This nomogram is a predictive tool that can be used to counsel patients for predicting survival outcomes. Moreover, our prognosis-predicting model may make it possible to personalize treatment.

Value of SUVmax for the Prediction of Bone Invasion in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

In advanced oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), accurate planning of surgical resection and reconstruction are crucial for outcome and postoperative function. For OSCC close to the maxilla or mandible, prediction of bone invasion is necessary. The aim of this study was to examine whether metabolic tumor imaging obtained by fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) could enhance preoperative predictability of bone invasion. We performed an analysis of 84 treatment-naïve OSCCs arising from gum (upper and lower), hard palate, floor of mouth, and retromolar trigone treated at the University Hospital Zurich, Switzerland, who underwent wide local excision with free flap reconstruction between 04/2010 and 09/2018 and with available preoperative FDG-PET. Prediction of bone invasion by metabolic tumor imaging such as maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) was examined. On definitive histopathology, bone invasion was present in 47 of 84 cases (56%). The probability of bone infiltration increased with a higher pretherapeutic SUVmax in an almost linear manner. A pretherapeutic SUVmax of primary tumor below 9.5 ruled out bone invasion preoperatively with a high specificity (97.6%). The risk of bone invasion was 53.6% and 71.4% for patients with SUVmax between 9.5–14.5 and above 14.5, respectively. Patients with bone invasion had worse distant metastasis-free survival compared to patients without bone invasion (log-rank test, p = 0.032). In conclusion, metabolic tumor imaging using FDG-PET could be used to rule out bone invasion in oral cancer patients and may serve in treatment planning.

Overall survival and prognostic factors in lung cancer patients with brain metastases

Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate overall survival in patients with lung cancer with brain metastasis. Our other aim was to investigate prognostic value of the maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) of primary tumor on 18Fluorine-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography / computed tomography (18F-FDG PET / CT) FDG PET / CT and other clinicopathological parameters. Material and Methods: Fifty-eight patients with lung cancer who underwent for oncologic purpose and had metastatic lesions in the brain were included in the study. The location of the primary lung mass and whether other organ metastases presence was evaluated on the 18F-FDG PET / CT. In axial images, the volume of interest (VOI) was plotted semi-automatically to include lung tumor tissue and SUVmax of the primary lung tumor was measured. Survival analyzes were performed with Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. The prognostic value of the parameters was evaluated using Cox regression analysis.Results: Of the 58 patients included in the study, 6 (10%) were female and 52 (90%) were male. The mean age was 64.8 ± 9.5 years. The mean SUVmax of primary tumor was 10.4 ± 4.5. Median survival was 7 months. Patient age and localization of the primary tumor were prognostic factors for survival in univariate analysis, whereas sex, SUVmax of primary tumor, presence of distant metastasis outside the brain, histologic subtype, surgical status of the metastatic brain mass and treatment type were not. Overall survival was lower in patients with primary tumor located in the left lung than in the right lung.Conclusion: In conclusion, age and localization of primary tumor are prognostic factors, whereas SUVmax of primary tumor does not appear to be a prognostic factor in lung cancer patients with brain metastases.

Value of combining PET/CT and clinicopathological features in predicting EGFR mutation in Lung Adenocarcinoma with Bone Metastasis.

Purpose: Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation is the most common target for precision treatment in metastatic lung adenocarcinoma. We investigated the predictive role of 18F-FDG PET/CT and clinicopathological features for EGFR mutations in lung adenocarcinoma with bone metastasis.Methods: Seventy-five lung adenocarcinoma patients with histologically confirmed bone metastasis were included. They all received EGFR status test and PET/CT before systemic treatment. The differences of maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) in primary tumor (pSUVmax), regional lymph node (nSUVmax) and bone metastasis (bmSUVmax) between different EGFR status groups were compared, alongside with common clinicopathological features. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate predictors of EGFR mutations.Results: EGFR mutations were found in 37 patients (49.3%). EGFR mutations were more common in females, non-smokers, expression of Thyroid Transcription Factor-1 (TTF-1) and NaspinA. Low bmSUVmax was significantly associated with EGFR mutations, while no significant difference was observed in pSUVmax and nSUVmax. Multivariate analysis showed that bmSUVmax ≤7, non-smoking, expression of TTF-1 were predictors of EGFR mutations. The area under the curve (AUC) of receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was 0.84 for the combination of the three factors.Conclusion: Low bmSUVmax is more frequently in EGFR mutations, and bmSUVmax is an independent predictor of EGFR mutations. Combining bmSUVmax with other clinicopathological features could forecast the EGFR status in lung adenocarcinoma with unavailable EGFR gene testing.

Is there a difference in FDG PET findings of invasive ductal carcinoma of the breast with and without coexisting DCIS?

Objective(s):Studies have reported that invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) with coexisting ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) show lower metastatic potential and recurrence and better overall survival than pure IDC. In this study, we assessed F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) images of patients with newly diagnosed IDC to determine if there is any difference in PET findings in IDC-DCIS and pure IDC cases.Methods:FDG PET/CT images of patients with newly diagnosed IDC of the breast who subsequently underwent breast surgery and had histopathology result in our records were further evaluated. Tumor grade, pathological staging, and presence of DCIS were noted from the histopathology results. Standardized uptake value (SUV) of the primary tumor (SUVmax and SULmax), other hypermetabolic foci in the breast, and ipsilateral normal breast were measured. Presence of axillary and distant metastases was noted. Results:Fifty seven (57) patients with IDC were included. Coexisting DCIS was present in 44 (IDC-DCIS) and not present in 13 (pure IDC) cases. Per histopathology, the primary tumor was unifocal in 33 IDC-DCIS (75%) and 12 pure IDC (92.3%) cases, and multifocal in 11 IDC-DCIS cases (25%), and 1 pure IDC case (7.7%). FDG uptake was multifocal in 20 IDC-DCIS cases (45.5%) and 1 pure IDC case (7.7%), and unifocal in 24 IDC-DCIS (54.5%), and 12 pure IDC (92.3%) cases. There was no significant difference in patient age, size of the primary tumor, SUVmax and SULmax of the primary tumor and SUVmax of the normal breast in IDC-DCIS and pure IDC cases (p>0.05). Pathology showed axillary metastasis in all 13 pure IDC (100%), and 27 IDC-DCIS (61.4%) cases. PET showed axillary uptake in 25 IDC-DCIS (56.8%), and 8 pure IDC (61.5%) cases, and abnormal/questionable distant uptake in 12 IDC-DCIS cases and 1 pure IDC case.Conclusion:In our preliminary findings, multifocal breast FDG uptake and multifocal tumor appear to be more common in IDC-DCIS than pure IDC. There is no significant difference in SUV and size of the primary tumor in IDC-DCIS and pure IDC cases. Axillary metastases appear to be more common in pure IDC than IDC-DCIS cases.

Prognostic value of 18F-FDG PET/CT metabolic parameters in small cell lung cancer

ObjectiveTo compare the prognostic values of metabolic parameters from pretreatment PET/CT between limited disease (LD) and extensive disease (ED) small cell lung cancer (SCLC) patients.MethodsData on 118 newly diagnosed SCLC patients (50 LD and 68 ED) who underwent pretreatment positron emission tomography–computed tomography (PET/CT) were reviewed. For PET, metabolic parameters were measured for: (1) primary tumor, maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax), metabolic tumor volume, and total lesion glycolysis; and (2) all tumor lesions, SUVmax of the hottest tumor, whole body metabolic tumor volume (WBMTV), and whole body total lesion glycolysis (WBTLG). Prognostic values of metabolic parameters and other clinical variables were analyzed to predict overall survival (OS).ResultsIn LD, SUVmax of the primary tumor was an independent prognostic factor for OS. Patients with high SUVmax showed significantly worse OS than those with low SUVmax. In ED, WBMTV and WBTLG were independent prognostic factors for OS. Patients with high WBMTV or WBTLG showed significantly worse OS than those with low WBMTV or WBTLG.ConclusionsSUVmax of primary tumor was the only independent prognostic factor for OS in LD SCLC patients. WBMTV and WBTLG were independent prognostic factors in ED SCLC patients.

Association of the primary tumor's SUVmax with survival after surgery for clinical stage IA esophageal cancer: a single-center retrospective study.

Compared to other esophageal cancers, clinical stage IA esophageal cancer generally has a good prognosis, although a subgroup of patients has a poor prognosis. Unfortunately, clinical diagnoses of invasion depth or lymph node metastasis are not always accurate, which make it difficult to identify patients with a high risk of postoperative recurrence using the tumor-node-metastasis staging system. Fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography may help guide the identification of malignant tumors and the evaluation of their malignant grade based on glucose metabolism. We aimed to evaluate the association between pre-operative fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography findings and the postoperative prognosis of patients with clinical stage IA esophageal cancer. This single-center retrospective study evaluated pre-esophagectomy fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography findings from 38 patients with clinical stage IA esophageal cancer. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was performed to evaluate the prognostic significance of the primary tumor having low and high SUVmax values (cut-off: 3.56). Overall survival (log-rank p = 0.034) and progression-free survival (log-rank p = 0.008) were significantly different between the groups with low SUVmax values (n = 18) and high SUVmax values (n = 20). Furthermore, the primary tumor's SUVmax value was related to pathological vascular invasion (p = 0.045) and distant metastasis (p = 0.042). The SUVmax of the primary tumor is a predictor of postoperative survival for clinical stage IA esophageal cancer. Thus, using fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography to evaluate the primary tumor's glucose metabolism may reflect the tumor's grade and potentially compensate for inaccuracies in tumor-node-metastasis staging.

Prognostic factors of EGFR-mutated metastatic adenocarcinoma of lung

PurposeThe first-line treatment of metastatic lung adenocarcinoma with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation is tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI). This study aimed to evaluate potential factors affecting the progression-free survival under TKI treatment. MethodsForty one patients with EGFR-mutated metastatic lung adenocarcinoma under first-line TKI treatment were retrospectively evaluated. Ten factors potentially influencing the progression-free survival were studied: patients’ age, gender, smoking history, number of comorbidities, performance status, tumor mutation site, maximum of standardized uptake value (SUVmax) of primary tumor in FDG PET/CT, serum CEA level, number of metastatic organs and presence of pleural/pericardial effusion. Mantel-Cox tests and waterfall plots were performed for statistical analyses. ResultsStatistical evaluation demonstrated that primary SUVmax, serum CEA level, gender and smoking history were important prognostic factors, with corresponding p values of 0.001, 0.023, 0.034 and 0.041 respectively in Mantel-Cox analyses. ConclusionLow primary SUVmax, low serum CEA level, female and never smoker were four prognostic factors suggestive of good response to TKI in mutated EGFR metastatic lung adenocarcinoma. SUVmax is probably the most important among the four factors.

18F-FDG PET-CT在评估局部晚期非小细胞肺癌预后中的应用

Objective To explore the value of 18F-FDG PET-CT in evaluating the prognosis of locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. Methods The clinical characteristics and 18F-FDG PET-CT parameters of 138 locally advanced NSCLC patients from 2013 to 2016 in Suzhou Municipal Hospital and People′s Hospital of Suzhou New District were analyzed retrospectively. The maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax), metabolic tumor volume (MTV) and total lesion glycolysis (TLG) were measured. Area under the curve (AUC) of SUVmax, MTV and TLG were calculated to determine optimal cut-off value for patients grouping, with receiver-operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis. Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were assessed by Kaplan-Meier method and the survival difference between the two groups was estimated by log-rank test. Multivariate survival analysis was performed by Cox proportional hazard model. Results According to ROC analysis, SUVmax (AUC=0.716, cut-off value was 11.8, P<0.001) had a better predictive value for OS, whereas the predictive values of MTV (AUC=0.580, P=0.101) and TLG (AUC=0.635, P=0.005) were less. There was no significant correlation between SUVmax and patients′ age (χ2=1.222, P=0.269), gender (χ2=0.029, P=0.865), TNM stage (χ2=0.073, P=0.787), pathologic subtype (χ2=0.541, P=0.462), smoking (χ2=0.266, P=0.606), differentiation (χ2=0.285, P=0.593) or tumor location (χ2=0.509, P=0.476). The 1-year, 2-year and 3-year OS rates of low SUVmax group (n=59) were 93.2%, 67.0% and 15.6% respectively, and those of high SUVmax group (n=79) were 77.2%, 25.0% and 5.62% respectively. The OS rate of low SUVmax group was higher than that of high SUVmax group (χ2=19.153, P<0.001). The 1-year and 2-year PFS rates of low SUVmax group were 79.3% and 56.9% respectively, and those of high SUVmax group were 46.2%, 13.0% respectively. The PFS rate of low SUVmax group was higher than that of high SUVmax group (χ2=25.945, P<0.001). Single factor analysis showed that differentiation (HR=1.839, 95%CI: 1.161-2.913, P=0.017), SUVmax (HR=0.357, 95%CI: 0.231-0.550, P<0.001), MTV (HR=0.470, 95%CI: 0.270-0.819, P=0.001) and TLG (HR= 0.508, 95%CI: 0.327-0.789, P=0.002) were independent influencing factors of OS. The degree of differentiation (HR=1.909, 95%CI: 1.167-3.123, P=0.018) and SUVmax (HR=0.250, 95%CI: 0.160-0.410, P<0.001) were the independent influencing factors of PFS. Multivariate analysis showed that only SUVmax was an independent influencing factor of OS (HR=2.189, 95%CI: 1.222-3.189, P=0.008)and PFS (HR=4.412, 95%CI: 2.318-8.398, P<0.001). Conclusion PET-CT SUVmax of primary tumor is significantly correlated with OS and PFS of patients. It has important guiding value for prognosis judgment and treatment plan selection of patients with locally advanced NSCLC. Key words: Carcinoma, non-small-cell lung; 18F-FDG PET-CT; Prognosis

68Ga-prostate-specific membrane antigen PETCT-based response to androgen deprivation therapy in patients with prostate cancer.

To assess the response of castration-naïve prostate cancer to androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) in Ga-PSMA PETCT, and test the hypothesis of differential response in primary, nodal and metastatic lesions. Patients with adenocarcinoma prostate with baseline Ga-prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) PETCT scan, and response scan after 3-12 months of ADT from 2014 to 2017 were analyzed. Change in radiotracer uptake in the prostate, involved regional nodes and distant metastasis was semiquantitatively assessed in paired scans using maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax). Response was categorized into complete or partial response (CR, PR) or stable disease or progressive disease (SD, PD), and correlated with known prognostic factors. Total 86 scans of 43 patients (17 metastatic, M+) were analyzed. After median 6 months of ADT, 0% primary, 23.3% nodes and 17.6% metastases showed CR; 18.6% primary, 8.3% nodes and 35% metastases showed PD. Prostate response was not significantly associated with any prognostic factor. Nodal response was higher in M0 than in M+ disease (CR 37 vs 4%, P = 0.003). Oligometastases responded better than polymetastases (CR/PR 62.5 vs 11.1%, P = 0.05). Decline in SUVmax of primary tumor correlated with decline in serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) (90% of partial responders showed >80% decline in serum PSA vs 50% with PD, P = 0.06). Primary prostatic tumor seems less likely to respond to ADT than nodal or metastatic lesions. Residual primary uptake may guide patient selection for local therapy in (oligo) metastatic prostate cancer.

The effect of androgen deprivation therapy on 68Ga-PSMA tracer uptake in non-metastatic prostate cancer patients.

To evaluate the effect of neoadjuvant androgen deprivation treatment (ADT) on prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) tracer uptake demonstrated in 68Ga-PSMA-positron emission tomography (PET/CT) in non-metastatic hormone-naïve prostate cancer (PC) patients. The clinical data of 108 PC patients who received neoadjuvant ADT were retrospectively analyzed. All patients had a baseline 68Ga-PSMA-PET/CT scan, and a second scan was delivered median of 2.9 months after the initiation of ADT. The maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) of primary tumor (SUVp) and metastatic lymph nodes (SUVln) as well as PSA response were assessed between pre- and post-ADT 68Ga-PSMA-PET/CT scans. There were significant decreases in posttreatment serum PSA, SUVp, and SUVln. A decrease in SUVp was seen in 91 patients (84%) with a median value of 66% (range, 5-100%), while 17 patients (16%) had no change in or an increase in PSMA tracer uptake with a median value of 24% (range, 0-198%). Patients with Gleason score (GS) of 7 had significantly higher metabolic response rates compared to other patients. The disease progression was significantly higher only in patients with GS > 7 disease compared to GS 7 disease. The PSA response to ADT was the lowest in patients with ISUP high-grade tumors. A total of 16 patients (15%) had progressive disease, and in 9 patients (8%), radiotherapy decisions were modified according to posttreatment 68Ga-PSMA-PET/CT scans. The current study includes the largest number of patients analyzed to date and demonstrates that ADT causes a significant decrease in serum PSA values and SUVp and SUVln. The authors demonstrate that 68Ga-PSMA-PET/CT may be used as a quantitative imaging modality after neoadjuvant ADT in hormone-naïve non-metastatic PC patients.

18F-fluorodeoxyglucose PET/computed tomography in locoregional staging and assessment of biological and clinical aggressiveness of breast cancer subtypes.

We aimed to evaluate the availability of fluorine-18-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) PET/computed tomography (CT) in initial axillary lymph node (ALN) staging in breast cancer. The secondary objective is to evaluate the role of FDG PET/CT as a pretest in sentinel lymph node biopsy vs. axillary lymph node dissection when predicting disease aggressiveness. The study evaluated retrospectively 194 breast cancer patients who underwent preoperative 18F-FDG. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) of FDG PET/CT for ALN metastases were confirmed with histopathology as the gold standard. The value of the area under curve (AUC), sensitivity and specificity for ALN metastases were determined as 0.847, 78.8% and 92.6%, respectively. The cut-off value of the maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) for metastatic ALN detection was calculated as 1.79. PPV, NPV and the accuracy of 18F-FDG PET/CT were 0.933 (93.3%), 0.75 (75%) and 0.837 (83.7%), respectively. The SUVmax value of the primary lesion was significantly correlated with grade, estrogen receptor (ER) status, progesterone receptor (PR) status, SUVmax value of metastatic ALN, Her-2 status and Ki-67 level. Molecular subtypes revealed no statistically significant difference in terms of mean SUVmax value. High values of AUC, sensitivity, specificity, NPV and PPV encourage utilization of PET/CT for locoregional staging of nonmetastatic breast carcinoma. The significant correlation between the primary tumor SUVmax value and grade, ER status, PR status and Ki-67 level increases the prognostic predictive value of the preoperative PET/CT.

68Ga-PSMA-11 PET has the potential to improve patient selection for extended pelvic lymph node dissection in intermediate to high-risk prostate cancer.

Radical prostatectomy with extended pelvic lymph node dissection (ePLND) is a curative treatment option for patients with clinically significant localised prostate cancer. The decision to perform an ePLND can be challenging because the overall incidence of lymph node metastasis is relatively low and ePLND is not free of complications. Using current clinical nomograms to identify patients with nodal involvement, approximately 75-85% of ePLNDs performed are negative. The aim of this study was to assess the added value of 68Ga-PSMA-11 PET in predicting lymph node metastasis in men with intermediate- or high-risk prostate cancer. 68Ga-PSMA-11 PET scans of 60 patients undergoing radical prostatectomy with ePLND were reviewed for qualitative (visual) assessment of suspicious nodes and assessment of quantitative parameters of the primary tumour in the prostate (SUVmax, total activity (PSMAtotal) and PSMA positive volume (PSMAvol)). Ability of quantitative PET parameters to predict nodal metastasis was assessed with receiver operating characteristics (ROC) analysis. A multivariable logistic regression model combining PSA, Gleason score, visual nodal status on PET and primary tumour PSMAtotal was built. Net benefit at each risk threshold was compared with five nomograms: MSKCC nomogram, Yale formula, Roach formula, Winter nomogram and Partin tables (2016). Overall, pathology of ePLND specimens revealed 31 pelvic metastatic lymph nodes in 12 patients. 68Ga-PSMA-11 PET visual analysis correctly detected suspicious nodes in 7 patients, yielding a sensitivity of 58% and a specificity of 98%. The area under the ROC curve for primary tumour SUVmax was 0.70, for PSMAtotal 0.76 and for PSMAvol 0.75. The optimal cut-off for nodal involvement was PSMAtotal > 49.1. The PET model including PSA, Gleason score and quantitative PET parameters had a persistently higher net benefit compared with all clinical nomograms. Our model combining PSA, Gleason score and visual lymph node analysis on 68Ga-PSMA-11 PET with PSMAtotal of the primary tumour showed a tendency to improve patient selection for ePLND over the currently used clinical nomograms. Although this result has to be validated, 68Ga-PSMA-11 PET showed the potential to reduce unnecessary surgical procedures in patients with intermediate- or high-risk prostate cancer.

Lymph Node Metastases Diagnosed by 18F-FDG-PET/CT in Esophageal Squamous Cell Cancer Treated With Concurrent Chemoradiotherapy.

To evaluate whether factors related to the clinical staging of lymph node (LN) metastasis diagnosed by 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron-emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) correspond to poor survival in esophageal squamous cell cancer (ESCC) patients treated with concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT). A total of 69 patients with curative intent and no prior treatment for ESCC or simultaneous treatment for synchronous cancers were investigated. A maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) on the highest image pixel in the LN ≥2.5 was considered positive. Location of the involved LN and its impact on survival were analyzed. In the univariate analysis of location, metastasis of the abdominal site, regional abdominal LN, and left gastric LN station negatively affected overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS). Other adverse clinical factors influencing OS included T4, clinical stage IVA and body mass index <21.2. In terms of DFS, a further unfavorable factor was primary tumor SUVmax ≥10.4. Abdominal site LN metastasis affected both OS and DFS in multivariate analysis. LN metastasis diagnosed by PET/CT in abdominal sites was an independent predictor affecting both OS and DFS in ESCC patients who underwent curative CCRT.