Gastric cancers with microsatellite instability exhibit high fluorodeoxyglucose uptake on positron emission tomography

• Published in: Gastric cancer : official journal of the International Gastric Cancer Association and the Japanese Gastric Cancer Association Vol. 16; no. 2; pp. 185 - 192
• Main Authors: Chung, Hyun Woo, Lee, Sun-Young, Han, Hye Seung, Park, Hyun Sik, Yang, Jae Hoon, Lee, Hak Hyun, So, Young
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Japan Springer Japan 01.04.2013; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Abdominal Surgery; Aged; Cancer Research; Female; Fluorodeoxyglucose F18 - pharmacokinetics; Gastric cancer; Gastroenterology; Humans; Male; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Microsatellite Instability; Middle Aged; Oncology; Original Article; Positron-Emission Tomography - methods; Radiopharmaceuticals - pharmacokinetics; Stomach Neoplasms - diagnosis; Stomach Neoplasms - genetics; Surgical Oncology; Tomography, X-Ray Computed - methods; Fluorodeoxyglucose; Microsatellite instability; Gastric cancer; Positron emission tomography
• ISSN: 1436-3291; 1436-3305; 1436-3305
• DOI: 10.1007/s10120-012-0165-2

Background Gastric cancers exhibit various degrees of 18 F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) uptakes on positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) imaging. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether FDG uptake in gastric cancer varies according to the microsatellite instability (MSI) status. Methods Consecutive gastric cancer patients who underwent PET/CT imaging and MSI analysis were included in the study. The maximum standardized uptake value (SUV max ) of gastric cancer was assessed using PET/CT imaging. Results Of 131 gastric cancers, 16 exhibited a high incidence of MSI (MSI-H) and 3 exhibited a low incidence of MSI (MSI-L). In 29 subjects who showed no uptake on PET/CT imaging the gastric cancers were all microsatellite stable (MSS). Gastric cancers with MSI were related to age older than 60 years ( p  = 0.002), cancer volume larger than 10 cm 3 ( p  = 0.015), and the presence of FDG uptake on PET/CT imaging ( p  = 0.001). A higher SUV max of gastric cancer was linked to the presence of MSI ( p  < 0.001). Conclusion The presence of MSI is related to FDG uptake in gastric cancer. Care should be taken with MSS gastric cancers, because they show lower SUV max on PET/CT imaging than MSI gastric cancers.