[Analysis of standard uptake values of 18F-FDG PET/CT in relation to pathological classification and clinical staging of nasopharyngeal carcinoma].
OBJECTIVE
To explore the relation of the standard uptake values (SUV) of 18F-fluorodexygl-gucose (18F-FDG) PET/CT and the pathological classification and clinical staging of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).


METHODS
Whole body 18F-FDG PET imaging was performed in 32 patients with pathologically confirmed NPC, who received no previous treatment. The regions of interest (ROI) covering the pharyngeal and cervical lesions were defined along the margins of the lesion, and the lesion volume and the SUVs were calculated.


RESULTS
The SUVs in stage I, II, III, and IV patients were 4.50-/+0.42, 5.62-/+1.44, 7.33-/+1.50, and 8.24-/+2.16, respectively, showing significant differences between them (P < 0.05). In patients in stage T1, T2, T3, and T4, the SUVs increased significantly in advanced stageds (2.56-/+1.05, 3.72-/+0.60, 6.87-/+1.07, and 9.70-/+0.70, respectively, P < 0.05). The SUVs were not significantly different in patients in stages N1, N2, and N3, differed significantly between lymph nodes > 6 cm in size and those < or = 6 cm (5.92-/+1.51 vs 3.48-/+1.31, P < 0.05). The SUV in poorly differentiated squamous carcinoma was significantly lower than that in undifferentiated carcinoma (5.58-/+1.48 vs 8.41-/+1.71, F = 1.3323, P = 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
The SUV is not associated with the clinical staging of NPC, but is correlated to the T staging of NPC. Though irrelevant to the N staging of NPC, the SUV is correlated to the size of the lymph nodes, and also related to the degree of differentiation of NPC.
Li
Jing
J
Department of Oncology, Guangzhou General Hospital of Guangzhou Command, Guangzhou 510010, China.
Pan
Yan-dong
YD
Yin
Ji-lin
JL
Li
Xiang-dong
XD
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18 / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D012372:ROC Curve; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18