Prognostic value of the standardized uptake value in esophageal cancer.

OBJECTIVE: On PET, the level of tissue glycolysis can be quantified by the accumulation of fluorine-18-fluorodeoxyglucose expressed as the standardized uptake value (SUV). The aims of this study were to investigate the relation between SUV and the stage of disease and whether SUV can be used to predict resectability and survival in patients with esophageal cancer. CONCLUSION: SUV can be used to predict resectability; however, SUV is not an independent factor that can be used to assess survival in patients with esophageal cancer.