Clinical significance of 18F-FDG uptake by primary sites in patients with diffuse large B cell lymphoma in the head and neck: a pilot study.
OBJECTIVE
This pilot study was launched to explore the utility of positron emission tomography scans, at the time of diagnosis, for clinical outcomes in patients with primary extranodal non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (PENHL) in the head and neck, retrospectively.


METHODS
Twenty-two patients with a diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) among those with a PENHL were included. We retrospectively evaluated the clinical outcomes of patients according to the maximum standardized 18F-fluoro-2-deoxy-glucose (18F-FDG) uptake value of the primary lesion (SUVp). The SUVp was initially analyzed as a continuous variable. The cut-off value of SUVp was obtained from receiver-operating characteristic analysis to predict event-free survival. Using this value, patients were divided into those with a low and high SUV.


RESULTS
Seventeen patients (59%) were men and the median age was 50 years. Most primary sites were in Waldeyer's ring (73%). The SUVp ranged from 3.3 to 23.7. The international prognostic index (IPI<2 vs. >or=2) was associated with the SUVp (P=0.014). Patients with low SUVp showed favorable survival (P=0.015). After IPI scores were stratified, the survival difference remained significant (P=0.029).


CONCLUSIONS
The results of this pilot investigation indicate that 18F-FDG uptake of the primary lesion may be related with survival outcomes in patients with extranodal DLBCL in the head and neck. Further studies are needed to confirm and extend these results.
Byun
Byung Hyun
BH
Department of Nuclear Medicine, Korea Cancer Center Hospital, Korea Institute of Radiological and Medical Sciences, Seoul, South Korea.
Na
Im Il
II
Cheon
Gi Jeong
GJ
Kang
Hye Jin
HJ
Kim
Kyeong Min
KM
Lee
Seung-Sook
SS
Ryoo
Baek-Yeol
BY
Choi
Chang Woon
CW
Lim
Sang Moo
SM
Yang
Sung Hyun
SH
D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality*; D015994:Incidence; D007723:Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D016393:Lymphoma, B-Cell / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000401:mortality*; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000401:mortality*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011379:Prognosis; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods; D012307:Risk Factors; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D016019:Survival Analysis; D015996:Survival Rate
D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18