title: A correlation study between maximum standardized uptake values and pathology and clinical staging in nonsmall cell lung cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the relationship between maximum standardized uptake value and pathological type, degree of differentiation, tumor size, and clinical staging of nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
  
  
  METHODS
  This study included 135 cases with pathologically proven NSCLC. Correlations between maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) and pathological type, degree of differentiation, tumor size, and clinical staging were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was a significant correlation between the SUVmax of NSCLC and the pathological type (r= 0.391, P= 0.000); the SUVmax of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) was higher than that of adenocarcinoma (AC) (P =0.000), and the SUVmax of AC was higher than that of bronchioloalveolar carcinoma (P = 0.004). There was a positive correlation between the SUVmax of AC and the degree of differentiation (r= 0.222, P = 0.044); SUVmax was lower in well-differentiated ACs than in moderately or poorly differentiated ACs (P=0.034 and 0.022 respectively); however, there was no statistical difference between the moderately differentiated and poorly differentiated groups (P= 1.000). There was no correlation between the SUVmax of SCC and the degree of differentiation (r= - 0.304, P= 0.054). A positive correlation was found between the SUVmax of NSCLC and tumor size (r= 0.569, P =0.000). The SUVmax of AC had a positive correlation with clinical staging (r= 0.298, P = 0.006); SUVmax was lower in stage I than in stages II, III, and IV (P = 0.047, 0.038 and 0.015, respectively); however, the SUVmax in stages II, III, and IV were not different (P= 0.708, 0.570 and 0.528, respectively). There was no correlation between the SUVmax of SCC and clinical staging (r =0.066, P = 0.680).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There was a correlation between the SUVmax of NSCLC and the pathological type and tumor size. A positive correlation was found between the SUVmax of AC and the degree of differentiation and clinical staging. There were no correlations between the SUVmax of SCC and the degree of differentiation or clinical staging.
authors.affiliation: The Center of PET/CT, Tumor Hospital, Affiliated to Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China.
authors.forename: Peiou
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Lijuan
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Yingci
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Yajuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sun
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001692:Biological Transport; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D047368:Tumor Burden