Is %ΔSUVmax a useful indicator of survival in patients with advanced nonsmall-cell lung cancer?
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the impact of the maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax), size of primary lung lesion, and %ΔSUVmax on outcome (overall survival (OS) and 2-year disease-free survival (2-year DFS)) of patients with advanced nonsmall-cell lung cancer (NSCLC).


METHODS
86 stage III-IV NSCLC patients underwent 18 F-FDGPET/CT, before and after chemotherapy, and were classified into subgroups according to the response criteria of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer. SUVmax values and tumor size with the best prognostic significance were searched. Correlation between the SUVmax value and the initial response to therapy (best response) and the relationship between %ΔSUVmax and OS were assessed.


RESULTS
In patients in PD (20/86), the average pretreatment SUVmax was 11.8 ± 5.23, and the mean size of the primary lesion was 43.35 mm ± 16.63. In SD, PR, and CR patients (66/86), the average pretreatment SUVmax was 12.7 ± 8.05, and the mean size of the primary lesion was 41.6 mm ± 21.15. Correlation was identified only for %ΔSUVmax; patients with PD (ΔSUVmax > +25%) showed a worse OS than patients with ΔSUVmax < +25% (CR, PR, and SD) (P = 0.0235).


CONCLUSIONS
In stage III-IV NSCLC, among the assessed factors, only %ΔSUVmax may be considered as a useful prognostic factor.
Positron Emission Tomography Centre, IRMET S.p.A., Euromedic, V.O. Vigliani 89, 10136 Turin, Italy ; PET Pediatric AIMN InterGroup, 10136 Turin, Italy ; Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies, National Research Council, 00185 Rome, Italy.
Angelina
A
Cistaro
Natale
N
Quartuccio
Alireza
A
Mojtahedi
Piercarlo
P
Fania
Pier Luigi
PL
Filosso
Mariapaola
M
Cucinotta
Alfredo
A
Campennì
Umberto
U
Ficola
Sergio
S
Baldari
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D016019:Survival Analysis