title: Predictive value of SUV-based parameters derived from pre-treatment (18)F-FLT PET/CT for short-term outcome with head and neck cancers.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to investigate the predictive potential of pre-treatment 3'-deoxy-3'-[18F]-fluorothymidine (FLT) uptake parameters for short-term outcome of primary head and neck squamous cell cancer (HNSCC) patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 32 patients undergoing pre-treatment FLT positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) from May 2010 to May 2013 were evaluated. Semi-quantitative assessment was used to determine mean, peak and maximum standardized uptake values (SUVmean, SUVpeak and SUVmax), metabolic tumor volume (MTV) and total lesion proliferation (TLP). Clinicopathologic factors and PET/CT parameters were analyzed for their association with 2-year loco-regional control (LRC) and overall survival (OS).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean (± SD) SUVmean, SUVpeak, SUVmax, MTV and TLP were 5.97 ± 3.16, 6.71 ± 3.75, 10.05 ± 5.37, 7.31 ± 8.05 and 44.95 ± 52.82, respectively. In univariate analyses, N category was associated with OS (P = 0.037). Increased MTV ≥13 ml was associated with decreased LRC and OS (P < 0.0001). TLP ≥69.3 g was also linked with both LRC and OS (P = 0.009 and 0.015, respectively). Regarding SUVs, only the SUVpeak was associated with LRC and OS (P = 0.035 and 0.049, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Pre-treatment MTV is the most useful parameter with FLT PET/CT. TLP and SUVpeak may also provide important prognostic information for patients with HNSCCs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Faculty of Medicine, Kagawa University, 1750-1, Ikenobe, Miki-cho, Kita-gun, Kagawa, Japan, hiro@med.kagawa-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hoshikawa
authors.forename: Yuka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.forename: Terushige
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mori
authors.forename: Takehito
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kishino
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fukumura
authors.forename: Yasushi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Samukawa
authors.forename: Nozomu
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mori
authors.forename: Yoshihiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nishiyama
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000628:therapy; D015224:Dideoxynucleosides; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D064847:Multimodal Imaging / Q000379:methods; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography / Q000379:methods*; D011379:Prognosis; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D000077195:Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*; D047368:Tumor Burden
chemical_list: D015224:Dideoxynucleosides; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; C002854:alovudine