Evaluation of 18FDG PET-CT-positive mediastinal-hilar lymph nodes in extrathoracic malignancies by EBUS-TBNA; correlation of SUVmax, and short-axis diameter with the final diagnosis

Introduction: Intrathoracic lymph node metastasis from extrathoracic neoplasms are rare. Primary malignancies that metastasize to mediastinal-hilar lymph nodes are head and neck , carcinoma breast ,and genitourinary. Endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA)/endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) is currently the preferred modality for mediastinal lymph node sampling. Methods: Fifty seven patients with extrathoracic malignancies with maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) of mediastinal-hilar lymph nodes greater than or equal to 2.5 were taken up for EBUS-TBNA. The histo-cytopathological results obtained from EBUS-TBNA were compared with SUVmax value and short-axis diameter of a lymph node as noted on EBUS. Results: Out of 74 sampled nodes, 49 (66.2%) were benign and 25 (33.8%) were malignant. The SUVmax range of benign nodes was 2.8� as compared to 3� of malignant nodes. The size range of malignant and benign nodes were 8� mm and 8� mm, respectively. The mean size of abnormal nodes (metastatic + granulomatous) was 17.5 (8� mm) and the mean SUVmax was 9.1 (3.4�), and it was a statistically significant difference when compared to reactive (normal) nodes. At SUVmax cut-off 7.5, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV) were 78.5%, 81.2%, 84.6%, and 74.2%, respectively for detecting abnormal nodes. At 13 mm size cut-off, sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV were 75.5%, 65%, 75%, and 72%, respectively, for detecting abnormal nodes. Conclusion: The majority of mediastinal-hilar nodes with increased metabolic activity are benign in nature. Size and SUVmax are poor predictors of metastasis in tuberculosis endemic region. There should be a restrictive attitude toward invasive diagnostic testing for mediastinal-hilar nodes in extrathoracic malignancies.

Inconsistency of Lesion Quantitative Assessment in 2D SUV and 3D SUV Quantification Techniques for [18F]-FDG PET/CT: A Phantom Study

@#This study was performed to assess the inconsistency of lesion quantification in standardised uptake value (SUV) [ 18F]-FDG between Ellipse (2-Dimensional) and Ellipsoid (3-Dimensional) quantification techniques by using PET/ CT image quality phantom. Reconstructed images of PET/CT ACR phantom was used to assess the quantification of SUV (SUVmax, SUVavg and SUVmin) on selected regions of interest. Statistical analysis of paired t-test was performed to compare the lesion quantification in SUV [18F]-FDG between 2D and 3D techniques. The quantification techniques were consistently similar of assessment between 2D SUVmax and 3D SUVmax at 12mm of ROI lesion with [(0.00 ± 0.02), t(29)=-0.48, p>0.05]. However, the rest of quantification techniques of 2D SUVmax, 3D SUVmax, 2D SUVavg, 3D SUVavg, 2D SUVmin and 3D SUVmin, results shown significant inconsistency since the p<0.05. This phantom study has proven that there were inconsistency of lesion quantitative assessment in 2D SUV and 3D SUV quantification techniques for [18F]-FDG PET/CT.

Using positron emission tomography - computed tomography imaging to distinguish of metastatic disease from second primary lung tumours in patients with non-small cell lung cancer

Background: In NSCLC patients with multiple lesions, the differentiation between metastases and second primary tumours has significant therapeutic and prognostic implications. The aim of this retrospective study was to investigate the potential of 18F-FDG PET to discriminate metastatic disease from second primary lung tumours.Methods: Of 318 NSCLC patients between November 2015 and October 2018 at Bach Mai hospital, patients with a synchronous second primary lung cancer were selected. Patients with metastatic disease involving the lungs served as the control group. Maximum standardized uptake values (SUVs) measured with 18F-FDG PET were determined for two tumours in each patient. The SUVmax was determined and compared between the second primary group and metastatic disease group. Receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to determine the sensitivity and specificity of the SUVmax for an optimal cut-off value.Results: A total of 81 NSCLC patients (44 metastatic disease, 37 second primary cancer) were included for analysis. The SUVmax was significantly higher in patients with second primary cancer than in those with metastatic disease (7.53±4.33 vs 4.35±2.58, respectively, p<0.001). The area under the ROC curve was 0.81 and the odds ratio for the optimal cut-off was 7.52.Conclusions: SUVmax from 18F-FDG PET images can be helpful in differentiating metastatic disease from second primary tumours in patients with synchronous pulmonary lesions. Further studies are warranted to confirm the consistency of these results.

The relationship between SUVmax on preoperative 68Ga-PSMA PET-CT and the clinicopahtological characteristics in patients treated with radical prostatectomy / 中华泌尿外科杂志

Objective@#To investigate the relationship between SUVmax on preoperative 68Ga-PSMA PET-CT and the clinicopathological characteristics of patients treated with radical prostatectomy.@*Methods@#The clinicopahtological data of patients evaluated with 68Ga-PSMA PET-CT preoperatively and treated with radical prostatectomy between May 2016 and August 2019 were retrospectively reviewed. 31 patients with a mean age (63.1±4.9) and baseline PSA (72.71±173.15)ng/ml were enrolled. Their BMI mean (24.6±3.0)kg/m2. Baseline testosterone of 14 patients was (4.72±1.64)ng/ml.Based on the Gleason scores related ISUP classification, all patients were classified into grade one in 5 cases, grade 2in 7 cases, grade 3 in 4 cases, grade 4 in 10 cases and grade 5 in 5 cases. The clinical classification included 6 cases in T2a stage, 2 cases in T2b stage, 17 cases in T2c stage, 1 case in T3a stage, 4 cases in T3b stage and 1 case in T4 stage. SUVmax was accessed by two independent professional nuclear medicine physicians. SUVmax was 12.49±9.38. SPSS 16.0 software was used to do statistic analysis.@*Results@#The post-operative pathological results showed the surgical margin positive in 19 cases, negative in 12 cases, vascular positive in 5 cases, negative in 20 case, positive nerve invasion in 20 cases and negative in 11 cases. 2 patients were low risk, 7 patients were medium risk and 22 patients were high risk according to D′Amico classification. Based on the basis of PSA(≤10 or>10) and Gleason score(≤6 or>6), 6 patients were in group with low PSA and low Gleason score, 5 patients were low PSA and high Gleason score, 9 patients were high PSA and low Gleason score, 11 patients were high PSA and high Gleason score. SUVmax had a significant positive relationship with pathological ISUP(r=0.434, P=0.015) and SUVmax in patients with positive intravascular tumor emboli was significantly higher than those with negative intravascular tumor emboli(14.78±10.68 vs. 8.17±2.81, P=0.005). No significant correlation was found between SUVmax and baseline PSA, testosterone, pathologic T stage, surgical margin, nerve invasion, pelvic lymph node status as well as risk stratification. SUVmax could distinguish pathologic ISUP grade 5 with a maximum AUC 0.747 (P=0.033) and the sensitivity was 88.9%. The specificity was 77.3% when SUVmax≥11.34. SUVmax in patients with upgrading ISUP was significantly higher than that in patients with downgrading ISUP (16.01±5.40 vs. 4.98±2.11, P=0.007).@*Conclusions@#SUVmax measured on preoperative 68Ga-PSMA PET-CT may have a clinical significance in predicting unfavorable pathological factors for patients treated with radical prostatectomy.

Relationship between SUVmax in 18F-FDG PET/CT and PD-L1 expression in invasive lung adenocarcinoma / 中国胸心血管外科临床杂志

@#Objective    To investigate the relationship between the expression of programmed cell death ligand-1 (PD-L1) and the maximal standardized uptake value (SUVmax) in 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) and the correlation of clinical factors between SUVmax values and PD-L1. Methods    The clinical data of 84 patients with invasive lung adenocarcinoma diagnosed pathologically in West China Hospital, Sichuan University from August 2016 to November 2018 were analyzed retrospectively, including 38 males and 46 females, aged 60 (32-85) years. The tumor was acinar-predominant in 37 patients, papillary in 20, lepidic in 19, solid in 5 and micropapillary in 3. Multivariate analysis of the relationship between SUVmax value and other clinicopathological features was performed by linear regression. Logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the relationship between PD-L1 protein expression and other pathological features. Results    The SUVmax of the PD-L1 expression group was significantly higher than that of the non-PD-L1 expression group in the whole invasive lung adenocarcinoma group (P=0.002) and intermediate-grade histologic subtype (P=0.016). The SUVmax cut-off value of PD-L1 expression in the whole invasive lung adenocarcinoma group and intermediate-grade histologic subtype was 5.34 (AUC: 0.732, P=0.002) and 5.34 (AUC: 0.720, P=0.017), respectively. Multivariate analysis showed that pleura involvement, vascular tumor thrombus and the increase of tumor diameter could cause the increase of the SUVmax value, while the SUVmax value decreased in the moderately differentiated tumor compared with the poorly differentiated tumor. The SUVmax cut-off value between low-grade histologic subtype and intermediate-grade histologic subtype, intermediate-grade histologic subtype and high-grade histologic subtypes was 1.54 (AUC: 0.854, P<0.001) and 5.79 (AUC: 0.889, P<0.001), respectively. Multivariate analysis of PD-L1 expression showed pleura involvement (P=0.021, OR=0.022, 95%CI 0.001 to 0.558) and moderate differentiation (opposite to poor differentiation) (P=0.004, OR=0.053, 95%CI 0.007 to 0.042) decreased the expression of PD-L1. Conclusion    The SUVmax of the PD-L1 expression group is significantly higher than that of the non-PD-L1 expression group in the whole invasive lung adenocarcinoma group and intermediate-grade histologic subtype. The level of SUVmax and the expression of PD-L1 in invasive lung adenocarcinoma are related to many clinical factors.

The relationship between SUVmax on preoperative 68Ga-PSMA PET-CT and the clinicopahtological characteristics in patients treated with radical prostatectomy / 中华泌尿外科杂志

Objective To investigate the relationship between SUVmax on preoperative 68Ga-PSMA PET-CT and the clinicopathological characteristics of patients treated with radical prostatectomy.Methods The clinicopahtological data of patients evaluated with 68Ga-PSMA PET-CT preoperatively and treated with radical prostatectomy between May 2016 and August 2019 were retrospectively reviewed.31 patients with a mean age (63.1 ± 4.9) and baseline PSA (72.71 ± 173.15) ng/ml were enrolled.Their BMI mean (24.6 ± 3.0) kg/m2.Baseline testosterone of 14 patients was (4.72 ± 1.64) ng/ml.Based on the Gleason scores related ISUP classification,all patients were classified into grade one in 5 cases,grade 2in 7 cases,grade 3 in 4 cases,grade 4 in 10 cases and grade 5 in 5 cases.The clinical classification included 6 cases in T2a stage,2 cases in T2b stage,17 cases in T2c stage,1 case in T3a stage,4 cases in T3b stage and 1 case in T4 stage.SUVmax was accessed by two independent professional nuclear medicine physicians.SUVmax was 12.49 ± 9.38.SPSS 16.0 software was used to do statistic analysis.Results The post-operative pathological results showed the surgical margin positive in 19 cases,negative in 12 cases,vascular positive in 5 cases,negative in 20 case,positive nerve invasion in 20 cases and negative in 11 cases.2 patients were low risk,7 patients were medium risk and 22 patients were high risk according to D'Amico classification.Based on the basis of PSA(≤ 10 or ＞ 10) and Gleason score (≤6 or ＞ 6),6 patients were in group with low PSA and low Gleason score,5 patients were low PSA and high Gleason score,9 patients were high PSA and low Gleason score,11 patients were high PSA and high Gleason score.SUVmax had a significant positive relationship with pathological ISUP (r =0.434,P =0.015) and SUVmax in patients with positive intravascular tumor emboli was significantly higher than those with negative intravascular tumor emboli (14.78 ± 10.68 vs.8.17 ± 2.81,P =0.005).No significant correlation was found between SUVmax and baseline PSA,testosterone,pathologic T stage,surgical margin,nerve invasion,pelvic lymph node status as well as risk stratification.SUVmax could distinguish pathologic ISUP grade 5 with a maximum AUC 0.747 (P =0.033) and the sensitivity was 88.9％.The specificity was 77.3％ when SUVmax ≥ 11.34.SUVmax in patients with upgrading ISUP was significantly higher than that in patients with downgrading ISUP (16.01 ± 5.40 vs.4.98 ± 2.11,P =0.007).Conclusions SUVmax measured on preoperative 68 Ga-PSMA PET-CT may have a clinical significance in predicting unfavorable pathological factors for patients treated with radical prostatectomy.

Comparison of 18 F-FDG PET/CT imaging IHP,Deauville and △SUVmax image analysis methods in the evaluation of the early and mid-stage treatment sensitivity and prognosis in malignant lymphoma / 实用肿瘤学杂志

Objective The aim of this study was to explore the values of IHP standard visual judgment,deauville(5-porint scoring and 5-PS)and maximum standard uptake rate(△SUVmax)image methods in the evaluation of early-and mid-term sensi-tivity determination and prognosis in malignant lymphoma patients. Methods A total of 51 patients with lymphoma who met the in-clusion criteria were selected for retrospectively analyses. PET/CT images of patients were analyzed by IHP standard visual judgment and deauville five-point methods. The△SUVmax value of the patient in the early and middle stages of treatment was calculated be-fore treatment, and the optimal cut-off value of PET/CT for early- and mid-term sensitivity determination and prognosis of evalu-ation△SUVmax was obtained by ROC curve. The differences between the diagnostic efficiencies of three methods were compared. The Kaplan-Meier analysis and Cox proportional hazard regression model were used for univariate and multivariate analyses. Results The results of ROC curve analysis showed that PET/CT had the best diagnostic efficiency when△SUVmax was 56. 95% . IHP stand-ard visual judgment,deauville quintile and△SUVmax methods could obtain high sensitivity and negative predictive values for the ear-ly-term treatment of lymphoma treatment. The positive predictive values and accuracy of △SUVmax method were higher than other two methods. Conclusion IHP standard visual judgment,deauville 5,and △SUVmax have high clinical values in the evaluation of early and middle stage of lymphoma treatment and prognosis. They can be used as independent risk factors for prognosis.

Hounsfield unit value has null effect on thyroid nodules at 18F-FDG PET/CT scans

ABSTRACT Objectives: Detection rate of thyroid nodules is increasing with the use of new imaging modalities, especially in screening for malignancies. Positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/ CT)-positive thyroid nodules should be differentiated for malignancy to avoid unnecessary operations and further follow-up. Most trials evaluate the role of SUVmax, but there is no definitive information about the utility of Hounsfield unit (HU) values for prediction of malignancy. This study aimed to evaluate the HU values beside SUVmax for detecting malignancy risk of PET/CT-positive thyroid nodules. Subjects and methods: Results of 98 cancer patients who had fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) for thyroid nodules detected on PET/CT between January 2011 and December 2015 were assessed. The FNABs and surgical pathological results were recorded. Results: FNABs revealed benign results in 32 patients (32.7%), malignant in 18 (18.4%), non-diagnostic in 20 (20.4%), and indeterminate in 28 (28.5%). Twenty-four patients underwent thyroidectomy. The mean HU values were not significantly different in benign and malignant nodules (p = 0.73). However, the mean SUVmax was significantly higher (p < 0.001) in malignant ones. Area under curve (AUC) was 0.824 for SUVmax; the cut-off value was over 5.55 (p < 0.001), with 80% sensitivity, 84.5% specificity. Conclusions: Our current study demonstrated that HU value does not add any additional valuable information for discriminating between malignant and benign thyroid nodules. We also defined a SUV cut-off value of 5.55 for malignant potential of thyroid nodules detected on PET/CT Arch Endocrinol Metab. 2018;62(4):460-5

The Role of F-18 FDG PET/CT in Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma / 대한핵의학회잡지

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic and prognostic role of metabolic parameters of FDG PET/CT in patients with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC).METHODS: From December 2008 to December 2013, 76 FDG PET/CT scans performed for initial staging of ICC in a single institution (57 male and 19 female; mean age 68 ± 9 years) were retrospectively reviewed. Patients with history of other known malignancy were excluded. Detection rates of regional lymph node and distant metastasis by FDG PET/CT were analyzed in comparison with conventional imaging modalities such as CT or MRI. Metabolic parameters including maximum, peak and mean standardized uptake values (SUVmax, SUVpeak, SUVmean), metabolic tumor volume (MTV), total lesion glycolysis (TLG), glucose corrected SUV (SUVgluc), and glucose corrected TLG (TLGgluc) were measured for the primary tumor. Cut-off values for the metabolic parameters were calculated by ROC curve analysis, and used to dichotomize the patient groups. The overall survival time (OS) was calculated and compared using the Cox proportional hazard regression analysis.RESULTS: The median duration of follow-up period was 5.4 months (interquartile range: 1.45~15.45). FDG PET/CT showed higher sensitivity than conventional imagingmodalities in detection of regional node involvement (74.5 % vs. 61.8 %, p = 0.013). In six patients, distant metastasis was identified only by FDG PET/CT. The mean SUVmax, SUVpeak, SUVmean, MTV, and TLG for the primary tumor were 8.2 ± 3.1, 6.8 ± 2.5, 4.0 ± 0.8, 192.7 ± 360.5 cm3, and 823.7 ± 1615.4, respectively. Patients with higher (≥7.3, HR: 4.280, p = 0.001), higher SUVpeak (≥6.5, HR: 2.333, p = 0.020), higher SUVmean (≥3.9, HR: 2.799, p = 0.004), higher SUVgluc (≥8.1, HR: 2.648, p = 0.012), and higher TLGgluc (≥431.6, HR: 2.186, p = 0.030) showed significantly shorter survival time. By multivariate study, operability was an independent prognostic factor for longer survival (HR: 4.113, p= 0.005).CONCLUSION: FDG PET/CT is an important diagnostic imaging tool in the nodal staging and detection of distant metastasis in ICC patients. Metabolic parameters may have a significant role as prognostic factors in patients with ICC.

Correlation of Molecular Subtypes of Invasive Ductal Carcinoma of Breast with Glucose Metabolism in FDG PET/CT: Based on the Recommendations of the St. Gallen Consensus Meeting 2013 / 대한핵의학회잡지

PURPOSE: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between the SUVmax of primary breast cancer lesions and the molecular subtypes based on the recommendations of the St. Gallen consensus meeting 2013.METHODS: Clinical records of patients who underwent F-18 FDG PET/CT for initial staging of invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) of SUVmax was correlated with the molecular subtypes defined by the St. Gallen Consensus Meeting 2013, i.e., luminal A-like (LA), luminal B-like HER2 negative (LBHER2−), luminal Blike HER2 positive (LBHER2+), HER2 positive (HER2+), and triple negative (TN), and with the clinicohistopathologic characteristics.RESULTS: The molecular subtype was LA in 38 patients, LBHER2− in 72, LBHER2+ in 21, HER2+ in 30, and TN in 22. The mean SUVmax in the LA, LBHER2−, LBHER2+, HER2+, and TN groups were 4.5 ± 2.3, 7.2 ± 4.9, 7.2 ± 4.3, 10.2 ± 5.5, and 8.8 ± 7.1, respectively. Although SUVmax differed significantly among these subtypes (p < 0.001), the values showed a wide overlap. Optimal cut-off SUVmax to differentiate LA from LBHER2−, LBHER2+, HER2+ and TN were 5.9, 5.8, 7.5, and 10.2 respectively, with area under curve (AUC) of 0.648, 0.709, 0.833, and 0.697 respectively. The cut-off value of 5.9 yielded the highest accuracy for differentiation between the LA and non-LA subtypes, with sensitivity, specificity, and AUC of 79.4 %, 57.9 %, and 0.704 respectively.CONCLUSION: The SUVmax showed a significant correlation with the molecular subtype. Although SUVmax measurements could be used along with immunohistochemical analysis for differentiating between molecular subtypes, its application to individual patients may be limited due to the wide overlaps in SUVmax.

Prognostic value of nodal SUVmax of 18F-FDG PET/CT in nasopharyngeal carcinoma treated with intensity-modulated radiotherapy

PURPOSE: To investigate the predictive role of maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) of 2-[18F]fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (18F-FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) in nasopharyngeal cancer patients treated with intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between October 2006 and April 2016, 53 patients were treated with IMRT in two institutions and their PET/CT at the time of diagnosis was reviewed. The SUVmax of their nasopharyngeal lesions and metastatic lymph nodes (LN) was recorded. IMRT was delivered using helical tomotherapy. All patients except for one were treated with concurrent chemoradiation therapy (CCRT). Correlations between SUVmax and patients’ survival and recurrence were analyzed. RESULTS: At a median follow-up time of 31.5 months (range, 3.4 to 98.7 months), the 3-year overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) rates were 83.2% and 77.5%, respectively. In univariate analysis, patients with a higher nodal pre-treatment SUVmax (≥ 13.4) demonstrated significantly lower 3-year OS (93.1% vs. 55.5%; p = 0.003), DFS (92.7% vs. 38.5%; p < 0.001), locoregional recurrence-free survival (100% vs. 50.5%; p < 0.001), and distant metastasis-free survival (100% vs. 69.2%; p = 0.004), respectively. In multivariate analysis, high pre-treatment nodal SUVmax (≥ 13.4) was a negative prognostic factor for OS (hazard ratio [HR], 7.799; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.506–40.397; p = 0.014) and DFS (HR, 9.392; 95% CI, 1.989–44.339; p = 0.005). CONCLUSIONS: High pre-treatment nodal SUVmax was an independent prognosticator of survival and disease progression in nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients treated with IMRT in our cohort. Therefore, nodal SUVmax may provide important information for identifying patients who require more aggressive treatment.

Prognostic significance of preoperative ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT in uterine leiomyosarcoma / 부인종양

OBJECTIVE: Uterine leiomyosarcoma (LMS) is a rare and aggressive disease with poor outcome. Due to its rarity and conflict of data, investigation on finding prognostic factor is challenging. The aim of the study was to investigate the prognostic significance of preoperative ¹⁸F-fluorodeoxyglucose (¹⁸F-FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) in uterine LMS. METHODS: This was a retrospective observational cohort study in 3 tertiary referral hospitals. We retrospectively evaluated data from patients with pathologically proven uterine LMS who underwent preoperative ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT scans at 3 institutions. The prognostic implication of PET/CT parameters and other clinico-pathological parameters on disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) was evaluated. RESULTS: Clinico-patholgical data were reviewed for 19 eligible patients. In the group overall, median DFS and OS were 12 and 20 months, respectively. As for the recurrence, large tumor size, and high tumor maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) were demonstrated as risk factors of recurrence. As for the OS, high tumor SUVmax was demonstrated as the unique risk factor. There were significant differences in tumor size, mitotic count, SUVmax, and DFS between patients with and without recurrence. Also, there were significant differences in tumor size, SUVmax, DFS, and OS between 2 subgroups stratified by cut-off SUVmax. CONCLUSION: SUVmax at preoperative ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT was associated with worse outcome in patients with uterine LMS. In the preoperative setting, SUVmax can be a valuable non-invasive prognostic marker. Additionally, SUVmax can help identify highly aggressive uterine LMS and may help in adjusting standard treatment toward an individualized, risk-adapted treatment.

Predictors of Distant Metastasis after Radical Surgery Followed by Postoperative Radiotherapy with or without Chemotherapy for Oropharyngeal Cancer / Journal of the Korean Cancer Association, 대한암학회지

PURPOSE: We investigated the prognostic factors for distant metastasis (DM) in patients with locally advanced oropharyngeal cancer (OPC) treated with surgery and adjuvant radiotherapy with or without concurrent chemotherapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eighty-five patients treated between January 1995 and August 2014 were evaluated retrospectively. Data regarding the pathological tumour and nodal status, human papillomavirus (HPV) status, treatment characteristics, and pretreatment maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) of 18-fluoro-2-deoxyglucose positron emission tomography–computed tomography scan (¹⁸F-FDG PET-CT) were evaluated, and their influence on DM and survival outcomes were analyzed. RESULTS: Median follow-up period was 48.0 months. Recurrence was observed in 20 patients, including locoregional recurrence and DM. DM was observed in 13 patients. A multivariate analysis confirmed that the presence of lymphovascular invasion (p=0.031), lower neck lymph node (LN) involvement (p=0.006), SUVmax ≥ 9.7 (p=0.014), and tumour size ≥ 3 cm (p=0.037) significantly affected DM. HPV status was not associated with DM. Perineural invasion (p=0.048), lower neck LNinvolvement (p=0.008), SUVmax ≥ 9.7 (p=0.019), and tumour size ≥ 3 cm (p=0.033) were also significant factors for the DM-free survival rate. CONCLUSION: Lower neck LN involvement, high SUVmax in pretreatment ¹⁸F-FDG PET-CT, and large tumour size were predictive factors for DM in patients of OPC.

Maximum standardized uptake value on positron emission tomography/computed tomography predicts clinical outcome in patients with relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma

BACKGROUND: Few clinical studies have clarified the prognostic factors that affect clinical outcomes for patients with relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) after immunochemotherapy. METHODS: A total of 158 patients with relapsed or refractory DLBCL were enrolled. All patients underwent positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) before and after salvage therapy. All enrolled patients previously received the ifosfamide, carboplatin, and etoposide regimen. Clinical outcomes were compared according to several factors (age > or = 65 years, low age-adjusted International Prognostic Index [aa-IPI], maximum standardized uptake value [SUVmax] or =12 months, complete response after salvage therapy). A low aa-IPI, SUVmax or = 12 months were independent prognostic factors for survival. RESULTS: In univariate analysis and multivariate analysis, SUVmax below 6.0 (P<0.001 for progression-free survival (PFS), P<0.001 for overall survival (OS)) and low aa-IPI (P<0.001 for PFS, P<0.001 for OS) were independent prognostic factors associated with favorable outcome. CONCLUSION: The aa-IPI and initial SUVmax were powerful prognostic factors in patients with relapsed or refractory DLBCL.

PET-CT: tumores de cabeza y cuello. Ensayo pictórico y revisión de la literatura / PET-CT: Head and Neck Tumors. Picture essay and literature review

La PET-CT como modalidad diagnóstica es muy útil en la evaluación anatomofisiológica de la cabeza y el cuello. Proporciona una alta sensibilidad y especificidad en la estadificación de neoplasias primarias, la respuesta al tratamiento médico o quirúrgico y la detección de recurrencias. Dichas enfermedades representan un alto impacto sobre la mortalidad y morbilidad de los pacientes. El principal objetivo de esta publicación es hacer una revisión de los hallazgos en la PET-CT de los tumores más frecuentes de cabeza y cuello, con énfasis en los procesos malignos, estudiados en nuestra institución.

PET-CT as a diagnostic modality which is very useful in the anatomical-physiological assessment of the head and neck. It provides high sensitivity and specificity in the staging of primary tumors, the response to medical or surgical treatment and the detection of recurrences. These diseases represent a high impact on the mortality and morbidity in our patients. Our main objective is to review the findings on PET-CT of the most common head and neck tumors with an emphasis on malignancy which are studied in our institution.