Standardized uptake value of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography for prediction of tumor recurrence in breast cancer beyond tumor burden

Introduction18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) can reveal the metabolic activity of malignant tumors. Recent advances in molecular works suggest that tumor biology can well predict prognosis in breast cancer. We compared the ability of maximum standardized uptake values (SUVmax) from FDG-PET with tumor burden in predicting tumor recurrence for patients with breast cancer. Methods: Between April 2004 and May 2009, 496 breast cancer patients who underwent pre-operative FDG-PET were retrospectively identified. SUVmax was obtained from FDG-PET, and the cut-off point was defined using a time-dependent receiver operator characteristic curve for recurrence-free survival (RFS). The primary end-point was RFS. Results: In multivariate analysis for RFS, SUVmax carried independent prognostic significance (P?=?0.012, hazard ratio (HR) 2.39, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.20 to 4.76). When the patients were classified into four groups according to the combined factor of tumor size (?2?cm versus >2?cm) and SUVmax (
Source: Breast Cancer Research - Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Source Type: research