Predictive value of maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) on 18F-FDG PET/CT in patients with locally advanced or metastatic pancreatic cancer

• Published in: Clinical nuclear medicine 2013-10, Vol.38 (10), p.778-783
• Main Authors: Moon, Soo Young, Joo, Kwang Ro, So, Ye Ri, Lim, Jun Uk, Cha, Jae Myung, Shin, Hyun Phil, Yang, You-Jung
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aged; Blood Glucose - metabolism; Disease-Free Survival; Female; Fluorodeoxyglucose F18 - pharmacokinetics; Humans; Kaplan-Meier Estimate; Male; Multivariate Analysis; Neoplasm Staging; Pancreatic Neoplasms - diagnostic imaging; Pancreatic Neoplasms - pathology; Pancreatic Neoplasms - secondary; Positron-Emission Tomography; Predictive Value of Tests; Tomography, X-Ray Computed; Tumor Burden
• ISSN: 0363-9762; 1536-0229
• DOI: 10.1097/RLU.0b013e31829f8c90

We investigated the prognostic role of 18F-FDG PET/CT in the prediction of progression-free survival (PFS) and chemotherapeutic response in patients with locally advanced or metastatic pancreatic cancer. We enrolled 21 newly diagnosed patients with locally advanced or metastatic pancreatic cancer who underwent 18F-FDG PET/CT scanning before palliative gemcitabine-based chemotherapy between 2006 and 2012. Maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) of the primary tumor was measured by 18F-FDG PET/CT. Chemotherapeutic response was evaluated according to the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors. Survival analysis was performed for time to progression using the Kaplan-Meier method. Cox proportional hazard models were used to determine independent prognostic factors. All pancreatic tumors showed detectable FDG uptake (mean SUVmax = 6.8 ± 3.0, range 2-12) The mean SUVmax values among response groups showed no significant difference (P = 0.853) and chemotherapeutic response was not different according to SUVmax level (P = 0.807). PFS was significantly shorter in the high SUVmax (≥6.8) group than in the low SUVmax (