title: Simulated FDG-PET studies for the assessment of SUV quantification methods.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study in detail the accuracy and repeatability of three commonly used methods for SUV estimation in solitary pulmonary nodules.
  
  
  METHODS
  We have designed a realistic framework based on simulated FDG-PET acquisitions from an anthropomorphic activity model that included solitary pulmonary nodules (different sizes) of well-known SUV. This framework enables us to compare the SUV values obtained from the reconstructed PET images with the real SUV values. Three commonly used methods (SUVmax, SUVmean and SUV50) were used to estimate the tumor activity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Our results showed the tumor activity was overestimated using SUVmax and clearly subestimated using SUVmean. Instead, the quantification of SUV50 showed great agreement with the simulated tumor activity and only slight subestimation was found for very small lesions. On the other hand, SUVmean showed better performance than SUV50 in terms of repeatability, providing variabilities below 5% for all tumor sizes and for injected doses as low as 111 MBq.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings showed that SUV50 provided better performance for estimating accurately tumor SUV values in pulmonary nodules, but SUVmean showed better results in terms of repeatability.
authors.affiliation: Grupo de Imaxe Molecular e Oncoloxía, Instituto de Investigación Sanitarias (IDIS), Travesía da Choupana S/N 15706, Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain; L2A2-USC, Facultade de Física, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Praza do Obradoiro, s/n, 15782, Santiago de Compostela, A Coruña, Galicia, Spain.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Silva-Rodríguez
authors.affiliation: Grupo de Imaxe Molecular e Oncoloxía, Instituto de Investigación Sanitarias (IDIS), Travesía da Choupana S/N 15706, Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain; In Vivo Molecular Imaging Group (IMIG), Facultade de Medicina, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Praza do Obradoiro, s/n, 15782, Santiago de Compostela, A Coruña, Galicia, Spain. Electronic address: pablo.aguiar.fernandez@sergas.es.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Aguiar
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Medicina Nuclear, Complexo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago de Compostela, Travesía da Choupana S/N 15706, Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Domínguez-Prado
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Medicina Nuclear, Complexo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago de Compostela, Travesía da Choupana S/N 15706, Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fierro
authors.affiliation: Grupo de Imaxe Molecular e Oncoloxía, Instituto de Investigación Sanitarias (IDIS), Travesía da Choupana S/N 15706, Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain; In Vivo Molecular Imaging Group (IMIG), Facultade de Medicina, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Praza do Obradoiro, s/n, 15782, Santiago de Compostela, A Coruña, Galicia, Spain; Servicio de Medicina Nuclear, Complexo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago de Compostela, Travesía da Choupana S/N 15706, Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain; Fundación Tejerina, Calle de José Abascal 40, 28003 Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Á
authors.initials: Á
authors.lastname: Ruibal
mesh_terms: D004307:Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; D005462:Fluorine Radioisotopes / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18 / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D009010:Monte Carlo Method; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography / Q000379:methods*; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D003074:Solitary Pulmonary Nodule / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D047368:Tumor Burden
chemical_list: D005462:Fluorine Radioisotopes; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18
keywords: Cuantificación; Monte Carlo simulation; PET; Quantification; SUV; Simulación Monte Carlo