title: Prognostic value of volume-based (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose PET/CT parameters in patients with clinically node-negative oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the prognostic value of volume-based metabolic parameters measured with (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose ((18)F-FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) in patients with clinically node-negative (cN0) oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma (OTSCC) as compared with other prognostic factors.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this study, we included a total of 57 patients who had been diagnosed with cN0 tongue cancer by radiologic, (18)F-FDG PET/CT, and physical examinations. The maximum standardized uptake value (SUV(max)), average SUV (SUV(avg)), metabolic tumor volume (MTV), and total lesion glycolysis (TLG) for primary tumors were measured with (18)F-FDG PET. The prognostic significances of these parameters and other clinical variables were assessed by Cox proportional hazards regression analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the univariate analysis, pathological node (pN) stage, American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) stage, SUV(max), SUV(avg), MTV, and TLG were significant predictors for survival. On a multivariate analysis, pN stage (hazard ratio = 10.555, p = 0.049), AJCC stage (hazard ratio = 13.220, p = 0.045), and MTV (hazard ratio = 2.698, p = 0.033) were significant prognostic factors in cN0 OTSCC patients. The patients with MTV ≥ 7.78 cm(3) showed a worse prognosis than those with MTV < 7.78 cm(3) (p = 0.037).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The MTV of primary tumor as a volumetric parameter of (18)F-FDG PET, in addition to pN stage and AJCC stage, is an independent prognostic factor for survival in cN0 OTSCC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon 443-721, Korea.
authors.forename: Su Jin
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Joon Young
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Hwan Joo
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Chung-Hwan
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Baek
authors.forename: Young-Ik
authors.initials: YI
authors.lastname: Son
authors.forename: Seung Hyup
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Hyun
authors.forename: Seung Hwan
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Moon
authors.forename: Byung-Tae
authors.initials: BT
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D064847:Multimodal Imaging; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D011379:Prognosis; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D015996:Survival Rate; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014062:Tongue Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18
keywords: 18F-FDG PET/CT; Metabolic tumor volume; Oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma; Prognosis prediction; SUV; Total lesion glycolysis