ORIGINAL ARTICLES   

The Quarterly Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular imaging 2011 February;55(1):72-80

Copyright © 2011 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

Prognostic role of the PET parameter maximum standardized uptake value in non small cell lung cancer: analysis in tumour of diameter ≥; and <25 mm

Pelosi E. ¹, Billè A. ², Skanjeti A. ^{1, 3}, Errico L. ², Arena V. ¹, Ardissone F. ², Borasio P. ², Mancini M. ¹ ✉

¹ PET Centre IRMET S.p.A., Turin, Italy; ² Section of Thoracic Surgery, Department of Clinical and Biological Sciences, S. Luigi Hospital, Orbassano, University of Turin Turin, Italy: 3 Section of Nuclear Medicine, S.Giovanni Battista Hospital, Turin, Italy

AIM: The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the primary tumour maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) plays an independent prognostic role in patients with non small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and whether this role is limited by partial volume effect (PVE) and motion artefacts.
METHODS: One hundred and fifty-three consecutive patients underwent PET exam, surgery (R0 resection) and follow-up (mean 20.3; range 6-44.8 months). Correlation with Disease Free and Overall Survival (DFS, OS) was evaluated in the entire population for: SUVmax, clinical and histopathological features and pathological stage. To evaluate the PVE and motion artefacts’ interferences on SUV calculation, the correlation between SUVmax and DFS/OS was also calculated in the groups of patients with tumour diameter ≥ and < than 25 mm (group A and B, respectively).
RESULTS: In the entire population only TNM and SUVmax resulted correlated with DFS/OS. However, SUVmax was significantly correlated with DFS/OS in group A but not in group B. Furthermore, only in the group of patients with primary tumour diameter ≥25 mm (group A), tumour diameter, tumour histotype, and tumour necrosis resulted significantly related with SUVmax at both uni and multivariate analysis.
CONCLUSION: TNM together with SUVmax could be useful in giving a better prognostic stratification of patients with NSCLC; however technical limitations in the SUV calculation must be taken into account in patients with tumour diameter <25 mm.