title: Relationship between 18 FDG PET-CT findings and the survival of 177 patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is a fatal malignancy. Radiological imaging is necessary for the diagnosis, staging, and clinical management of patients with MPM. The 18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (18 FDG-PET) scan has proven useful in preoperative staging and as a prognostic tool in MPM. We aimed to investigate the relationship between the pre-treatment 18 FDG PET/CT results, together with other known clinical parameters, and the survival of patients with MPM in our region.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective analysis was performed on the data of 177 patients with MPM between April 2007 and April 2011. Pre-treatment 18 FDG PET/CT scans were done on all patients. Survival time was calculated by the Kaplan-Meier method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean age was 55.40 years. There were 56% male patients and 44% female patients. The mean survival time was 11 months from time of diagnosis. According to multivariate analysis results, being of male gender increased the poor prognosis 5.30 times, a Karnofsky performance score (KPS) < 60 increased a poor prognosis 2.18 times, being on "best supportive care" increased a poor prognosis 25.40 times, the stage III-IV increased a poor prognosis 11.13 times, and a level of maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) > 5 increased a poor prognosis 4.34 times.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  MPM remains a fatal prognosis. Significant predictors of survival include KPS, stage of disease, gender, treatment regimen and level of SUVmax. An understanding of the importance of these markers for MPM prognosis should allow targeted treatments to be developed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chest Disease, Dicle University, Diyarbakir, Turkey. arahmanabakay@hotmail.com
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Abakay
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Komek
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Abakay
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Palanci
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ekici
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tekbas
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Tanrikulu
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D008654:Mesothelioma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000401:mortality; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D010997:Pleural Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000401:mortality; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013534:Survival
chemical_list: D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18