Is there a connection between immunohistochemical markers and grading of lung cancer with apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) and standardised uptake values (SUV) of hybrid 18F‐FDG‐PET/MRI?

• Published in: Journal of medical imaging and radiation oncology 2020-12, Vol.64 (6), p.779-786
• Main Authors: Martin, Ole, Bruckmann, Nils‐Martin, Kirchner, Julian, Ullrich, Tim, Ingenwerth, Marc, Bogner, Simon, Eze, Chukwuka, Nensa, Felix, Herrmann, Ken, Umutlu, Lale, Antoch, Gerald, Sawicki, Lino M
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Correlation; Diffusion; Diffusion coefficient; Fluorine isotopes; Growth factors; Homology; Kinases; Lung cancer; Magnetic resonance imaging; Markers; nuclear imaging; Positron emission; Radioactive tracers; Tomography; Tumors
• ISSN: 1754-9477; 1754-9485
• DOI: 10.1111/1754-9485.13087

Introduction To correlate tumour grading and prognostic immunohistochemical markers of lung cancer with simultaneously acquired standardised uptake values (SUV) and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) derived from hybrid PET/MRI. Methods In this retrospective study, 55 consecutive patients (mean age 62.5 ± 9.2 years) with therapy‐naïve, histologically proven lung cancer were included. All patients underwent whole‐body PET/MRI using 18F‐flourdeoxyglucose (18F‐FDG) as a radiotracer. Diffusion‐weighted imaging of the chest (DWI, b‐values: 0, 500, 1000 s/mm2) was performed simultaneously with PET acquisition. Histopathological tumour grading was available in 43/55 patients. In 15/55 patients, immunohistochemical markers, that is, phospho‐AKT Ser473 (pAKTS473), phosphorylated extracellular signal‐regulated kinase (pERK), phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN), and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (erbB2) were available. Results The average SUVmax, SUVmean, ADCmin and ADCmean in lung cancer primaries were 12.6 ± 5.9, 7.7 ± 4.6, 569.9 ± 96.1 s/mm2 and 825.8 ± 93.2 s/mm2, respectively. We found a significant inverse correlation between the ADCmin and SUVmax (r = −0.58, P