The relationship between preoperative PET/CT SUVmax value and prognosis in patients have been operated with lung cancer

OBJECTIVE: Although advanced diagnostic and theraphautic development are achieved, lung cancer is the most leading cause of death in both gender around the world. The stage of tumor is still the most important factor in determining the prognosis of cancer. Since even at the same stage, survival rates are different, additional factors are needed for determining the prognosis. In this study, in order to determine the role of FDG-PET ([18F]-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose Positron Emission Tomography) as a prognostic factor in lung cancer, the relationship between SUVmax (maximum Standardized Uptake Value) with survival and clinical findings of primary tumor was evaluated. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The data of 330 patients, who diagnosed as lung cancer and had PET/CT preoperative, and resected anatomically, at the Department of Thoracic Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Gaziantep between January 2006 and December 2013, were retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS: The mean age of, 27 (8.2 %) female and 303 (91.8 %) male patients was 61,09 years (range 23-87). Histologic subtypes of patients was as follows: 92 (27,9 %) adenocarcinoma, 195 (59,1 %) squamous carcinoma, 4 (1,2 %) SCLC, 39 (11,8 %) undetermined NSCLC. There were 48, 40, 61, 71, 86, 10, 14 patients according to TNM staging for in order to Stage 1A, 1B, 2A, 2B, 3A, 3B, 4. Survival is 60% at two years and 47,2% at five years for all patient group. No significant correlation was found between age, sex or histologic subtypes with survival (p=0,18, p=0,72, p=0,072). There was no significant correlation between N2 positivity and survival too (p=0,24). Results was significant at survival analysis with SUVmax (p=0,009). A weak positive correlation was observed between SUVmax and tumor size (r=0,360 p=0,001). The ideal cut-off value was found as 8,9 for SUVmax values of all patients. And the survival analysis was found borderlina significant according to this value (p=0,077). CONCLUSION: Increasing of the tumor SUVmax value, effects the survival negatively. This relationship is more significant when the SUVmax is higher than 8,9. Key Words: Lung cancer, FDG PET, SUV, prognosis