Prognostic value of baseline FDG uptake on PET-CT in esophageal carcinoma.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the influence of baseline maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) on survival in a cohort of patients, undergoing positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) scan for esophageal carcinoma.


METHODS
The pre-treatment SUVmax numeric reading was determined in patients with confirmed esophageal or junctional cancer having PET-CT scan during the time period 1(st) January 2007 until 31(st) July 2012. A minimum follow up of 12 mo was required. Patients were subdivided into quartiles according to SUVmax value and the influence of SUVmax on survival was assessed using univariate and multivariate analysis. The following pre-treatment factors were investigated: patient characteristics, tumor characteristics and planned treatment.


RESULTS
The study population was 271 patients (191 male) with esophageal or junctional carcinoma. The median age was 65 years (range 40-85) and histologic subtype was adenocarcinoma in 197 patients and squamous carcinoma in 74 patients. The treatment intent was radical in 182 and palliative in 89 patients. SUVmax was linked to histologic subtype (P = 0.008), tumor site (P = 0.01) and Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) stage (P < 0.001). On univariate analysis, prognosis was significantly associated with SUVmax (P = 0.001), T-stage (P < 0.001) and UICC stage (P < 0.001). On multivariate analysis, only T-stage and UICC stage remained significant.


CONCLUSIONS
Pretreatment SUVmax was not a useful marker in isolation for determining prognosis of patients with esophageal carcinoma.
Omar S Al-Taan, Amar Eltweri, David Sharpe, Sukhbir S Ubhi, David J Bowrey, Departments of Surgery, University Hospitals of Leicester, Leicester LE1 5WW, United Kingdom.
Omar S
OS
Al-Taan
Omar S Al-Taan, Amar Eltweri, David Sharpe, Sukhbir S Ubhi, David J Bowrey, Departments of Surgery, University Hospitals of Leicester, Leicester LE1 5WW, United Kingdom.
Amar
A
Eltweri
Omar S Al-Taan, Amar Eltweri, David Sharpe, Sukhbir S Ubhi, David J Bowrey, Departments of Surgery, University Hospitals of Leicester, Leicester LE1 5WW, United Kingdom.
David
D
Sharpe
Omar S Al-Taan, Amar Eltweri, David Sharpe, Sukhbir S Ubhi, David J Bowrey, Departments of Surgery, University Hospitals of Leicester, Leicester LE1 5WW, United Kingdom.
Peter M
PM
Rodgers
Omar S Al-Taan, Amar Eltweri, David Sharpe, Sukhbir S Ubhi, David J Bowrey, Departments of Surgery, University Hospitals of Leicester, Leicester LE1 5WW, United Kingdom.
Sukhbir S
SS
Ubhi
Omar S Al-Taan, Amar Eltweri, David Sharpe, Sukhbir S Ubhi, David J Bowrey, Departments of Surgery, University Hospitals of Leicester, Leicester LE1 5WW, United Kingdom.
David J
DJ
Bowrey
Esophageal neoplasms; Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; Positron emission tomography; Positron emission tomography-computed tomography; Prognosis