title: The nodal standard uptake value (SUV) as a prognostic factor in head and neck squamous cell cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of present study is to evaluate the predictive and prognostic role of high [18F] fluoro-D-glucose (FDG) uptake of primary tumor and nodal metastasis in squamous cell carcinoma of head and neck (HNSCC).
  
  
  METHODS
  Between February 2006 and July 2010, we retrospectively evaluated 64 patients with primary HNSCC in an institutional imaging trial. All patients who underwent evaluation pretreatment FDG-positron emission tomography/computarized tomography (FDG-PET/CT) imaging and 33 (51%) had pre- and after treatment FDG-PET/CT imaging. All treatments were performed with curative intent. Abnormal FDG uptakes were analyzed using maximum standardized uptake values (SUVm). The disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) were evaluated with several prognostic factors such as pre-treatment SUVm and %change in SUVm.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Tumor sites are nasopharynx (n=29, 45.3%), larynx (n=16, 25%), oropharynx (n=13, 20.4%) and hypopharynx (n=6, 9.4%). Median age was 58 (range: 16-87) and most patients (84.4%) had stage III/IV lesions. Objective response rate was 78.2%. The median primary tumor SUVm was 13.4 (range, 4.8-33.1), median nodal SUVm was 4.45 (range, 0-25.6) and median % change in SUVm was 74.1 (range, -61-100). On multivariate analysis, nodal SUVm and surgery remained significant predictors of DFS. There was no statistical significance found between survival and other factors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We have found that while nodal SUVm is prognostic for DFS, primary tumor SUVm and % change in SUVm are not.
authors: Department of Medical Oncology, Atatürk Education and Research Hospital, Turkey. drumutdemirci@gmail.com
authors: Umut
authors: U
authors: Demirci
authors: Ugur
authors: U
authors: Coskun
authors: U Ozgur
authors: UO
authors: Akdemir
authors: Mustafa
authors: M
authors: Benekli
authors: Ozlem
authors: O
authors: Kapucu
authors: Secil
authors: S
authors: Ozkan
authors: Tansel
authors: T
authors: Cakir
authors: Meltem
authors: M
authors: Baykara
authors: Suleyman
authors: S
authors: Buyukberber
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000401:mortality; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18 / Q000378:metabolism; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000401:mortality; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D064847:Multimodal Imaging; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D000077195:Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18