Prognostic value of FDG PET/CT during radiotherapy in head and neck cancer patients
- Author:
Suzy KIM
1
;
Sowon OH
;
Jin Soo KIM
;
Yu Kyeong KIM
;
Kwang Hyun KIM
;
Do Hoon OH
;
Dong Han LEE
;
Woo Jin JEONG
;
Young Ho JUNG
Author Information
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords: Head and neck neoplasms; Positron-emission tomography; Radiotherapy; Prognostic factor
- MeSH: Carcinoma, Squamous Cell; Cetuximab; Cisplatin; Disease-Free Survival; Drug Therapy; Glycolysis; Head and Neck Neoplasms; Head; Humans; Hypopharyngeal Neoplasms; Laryngeal Neoplasms; Multivariate Analysis; Neck; Oropharyngeal Neoplasms; Positron-Emission Tomography; Positron-Emission Tomography and Computed Tomography; Proportional Hazards Models; Radiotherapy; Tumor Burden
- From:Radiation Oncology Journal 2018;36(2):95-102
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
- Abstract: PURPOSE: To evaluate the prognostic value of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron-emission tomography (FDG PET) with computed tomography (CT) before and during radiotherapy (RT) in patients with head and neck cancer. METHODS: Twenty patients with primary head and neck squamous cell carcinoma were enrolled in this study, of whom 6 had oropharyngeal cancer, 10 had hypopharyngeal cancer, and 4 had laryngeal cancer. Fifteen patients received concurrent cisplatin and 2 received concurrent cetuximab chemotherapy. FDG PET/CT was performed before RT and in the 4th week of RT. The parameters of maximum standardized uptake value, metabolic tumor volume, and total lesion glycolysis (TLG) of the primary tumor were measured, and the prognostic significance of each was analyzed with the Cox proportional hazards model. RESULTS: Higher TLG (>19.0) on FDG PET/CT during RT was a poor prognostic factor for overall survival (OS) (p = 0.001) and progression-free survival (PFS) (p = 0.007). In the multivariate analysis, TLG during RT as a continuous variable was significantly associated with OS and PFS rate (p = 0.023 and p = 0.016, respectively). Tumor response worse than partial remission at 1 month after RT was another independent prognostic factor for PFS (p = 0.024). CONCLUSIONS: Higher TLG of the primary tumor on FDG PET/CT during RT was a poor prognostic factor for OS and PFS in patients with head and neck cancer.
