ABSTRACT
Objective To evaluate the prognostic value of fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) standardized uptake value (SUV) of positron emission tomography (PET) before radiotherapy in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy (3DCRT). Methods Seventy-three patients with stage Ⅲ NSCLC underwent PET to calculate SUV within 2 weeks before 3DCRT. The a-nalysis was carried out after the irradiation of 60 -66 Gy. The possible prognostic factors were assessed by Cox proportional hazards model. Results The mean SUV for squamous cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma and others were 16.94, 14.40 and 6.33, respectively (F = 0. 51, P = 0. 604). The mean SUV for tumor volume less than and more than 50 cm~3 was 13.81 and 20.18 (F = 7.54, P = 0. 008). In the univariate analysis, a cutoff SUV of 17 and chemotherapy were correlated with the prognosis. In the multivariate analysis, SUV was the only independent prognostic factor (relative risk = 2.61). Conclusions SUV is a prognostic factor in patients with NSCLC treated by 3DCRT, which deserves further studies.