Prognostic value of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography in patients with resectable pancreatic cancer

• Published in: Yonsei medical journal Vol. 54; no. 6; pp. 1377 - 1383
• Main Authors: Choi, Hye Jin, Kang, Chang Moo, Lee, Woo Jung, Song, Si Young, Cho, Arthur, Yun, Mijin, Lee, Jong Doo, Kim, Joo Hang, Lee, Jae-Hoon
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Korea (South) Yonsei University College of Medicine 01.11.2013; 연세대학교의과대학
• Subjects: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Disease-Free Survival; Female; Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Original; Pancreatic Neoplasms - diagnosis; Pancreatic Neoplasms - mortality; Positron-Emission Tomography - methods; Retrospective Studies; 의학일반; pancreatic cancer; curative resection; prognosis; FDG PET
• ISSN: 1976-2437; 0513-5796; 1976-2437
• DOI: 10.3349/ymj.2013.54.6.1377

We evaluated the prognostic value of (18)F-2-fluoro-2-deoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG PET) in patients with resectable pancreatic cancer. We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of pancreatic cancer patients who underwent curative resection, which included 64 consecutive patients who had preoperative FDG PET scans. For statistical analysis, the maximal standardized uptake value (SUVmax) of primary pancreatic cancer was measured. Survival time was estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method, and Cox's proportional hazard model was used to determine whether SUVmax added new predictive information concerning survival together with known prognostic factors. p<0.05 indicated statistical significance. Overall survival (OS) and disease- free survival (DFS) were respectively 42.9 months (27.6-58.2; 95% CI) and 14.9 months (10.1-19.7; 95% CI). When subjects were divided into two groups according to SUVmax with a cutoff value of 3.5, the high SUVmax group (n=32; SUVmax >3.5) showed significantly shorter OS and DFS than the low SUVmax group. Multivariate analysis of OS and DFS showed that both high SUVmax and poor tumor differentiation were independent poor prognostic factors. Our study showed that degree of FDG uptake was an independent prognostic factor in pancreatic cancer patients who underwent curative resection.