[(18)F]Fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography and its prognostic value in lung cancer.
OBJECTIVE
Positron emission tomography (PET) is being increasingly used as an accurate and non-invasive modality in diagnosis, staging and post-therapy assessment in patients with lung cancer. In this study, we examine whether the uptake of [(18)F]fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG), a marker of increased glucose metabolism in neoplastic cells, is of prognostic value in patients with primary lung cancer.


METHODS
We have retrospectively analyzed 77 patients (mean age, 63. 0 years; male/female ratio, 53:24) with primary lung cancers who underwent whole body and localized thoracic PET as part of their diagnostic and staging procedures prior to consideration of surgical resection. The standardized uptake value (SUV) of injected FDG for each primary lesion was correlated with tumour histology and the patient's clinical outcome.


RESULTS
A SUV of 20 or greater was found to be of significant prognostic value. The chance of survival (with 95% confidence intervals (CI)) at 12 months post-surgery for the various SUV groups was as follows: 75.2% (59.6-85.5) for SUV<10; 67.5% (29.0-88.2) for SUV 10-<12; 63.6% (29.7-84.5) for SUV 12-<15; 66.7% (19.5-90.4) for SUV 15-<20; 16.7% (0.01-0.52) for SUV>20. A SUV of 20 or more is associated with a 4.66 times increase in hazard, compared with lower levels of SUV. We found no significant correlation between tumour histology and SUV.


CONCLUSIONS
We have previously reported on the significant advantages of PET in the staging and surgical care of patients with lung cancer. The present study adds further support for an additional prognostic role for PET in the management of thoracic malignancy as determined by the amount of labelled-FDG taken up by the primary lesion.
Dhital
K
K
Department of Cardio-thoracic Surgery, United Medical and Dental Schools of Guy's and St Thomas' Hospitals, SE1 9RT, London, UK.
Saunders
C A
CA
Seed
P T
PT
O'Doherty
M J
MJ
Dussek
J
J
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000401:mortality; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed
D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18