Sequential positron emission tomography using [18F]fluorodeoxyglucose for monitoring response to chemotherapy in metastatic breast cancer.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the clinical value of positron emission tomography (PET) for monitoring chemotherapy in metastatic breast cancer.


METHODS
Twenty patients with hormonorefractory or hormonoreceptor-negative multimetastatic breast cancer were prospectively included. PET studies were done at baseline, at day 21 after the first cycle and at day 21 after the third cycle of chemotherapy. Metabolic response was defined based on visual and various modes of standardized uptake value (SUV) analysis of sequential PET studies.


RESULTS
After one cycle, PET indicated a partial response in 12 patients, stable disease in 7 patients, and progressive disease in 1 patient, according to the visual analysis. After three cycles, PET showed a complete response in 5 patients, partial response in 11 patients, stable disease in 3 patients, and progressive disease in 1 patient. Seventy-five percent of the patients showing a metabolic response on visual analysis effectively responded to the treatment. The average SUV decreased on both the second and the third PET study, but only changes measured after three cycles of chemotherapy predicted the clinical response to chemotherapy and the overall survival. All methods for calculating the SUV (normalized for body weight, body surface area, or lean body mass) provided similar results.


CONCLUSIONS
Semiquantitative analysis of [18F]fluorodeoxyglucose-PET studies done after three cycles of chemotherapy is useful for monitoring the response to chemotherapy in metastatic breast cancer.
Couturier
Olivier
O
Division of Nuclear Medicine, Hôtel Dieu and Division of Biostatistics, Hôpital St. Jacques, CHU Nantes, France; and Divisions of Medical Oncology and Nuclear Medicine, CHU Liège, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium.
Jerusalem
Guy
G
N'Guyen
Jean-Michel
JM
Hustinx
Roland
R
D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D006801:Humans; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000188:drug therapy; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18