e15094 Background: Selection for surgery in patients with colorectal liver metastases (CRLM) remains poorly accurate. We evaluated if baseline metabolic characteristics of CRLM, as assessed by [18]-fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography (18FDG-PET/CT), may predict the postoperative outcome in patients operated for CRLM. Methods: In a series of 450 patients operated for CRLM, we retrospectively identified 2 groups: The long-term survival (LTS), as defined by postoperative recurrence-free survival (RFS)≥5 years, and the early relapse groups (ER), as defined by RFS < 1 year. Clinicopathologic characteristics, Clinical Risk Score (CRS) and baseline 18FDG-PET/CT metabolic parameters were analyzed. Baseline 18FDG-PET/CT was performed at the time of diagnosis of CRLM, before any preoperative treatment. Low and high-risk CRS were defined by scores of 0 to 2 and 3 to 5, respectively. Metabolic CRS (mCRS) was implemented, using 1 additional point to the standard CRS when the highest tumor standardized uptake value (SUVmax) and normal liver mean SUV (SUVmean(liver)) ratio was > 4.3. Low and high-risk mCRS were defined by scores of 0 to 2 and 3 to 6, respectively. Results: We analyzed 53 patients. No difference was observed between LTS (n = 23) and ER (n = 30) groups for clinicopathologic parameters related to the primary tumor and CRLM, CRS and rates of low/high risk CRS. All metabolic parameters analyzed, including SUVmax and SUVpeak, at the exception of metabolic tumor volume, were significantly increased in ER group. Median SUVmax/SUVmean(liver) ratio was significantly increased in the ER vs LTS, respectively of 4.2 and 2.8 (p = 0.008). mCRS was significantly higher in ER as compared to LTS patients (p = 0.024), while 61% of the LTS patients had a low-risk mCRS and 73% of the ER patients had a high-risk mCRS (p = 0.023). Conclusions: Baseline 18FDG-PET/CT characteristics demonstrate an increased tumor glucose uptake in patients who rapidly recur after curative-intent surgery for CRLM. The introduction of these data into clinical risk model may represent a new tool to improve selection for surgery in patients with CRLM.
Modernizing the clinical risk score to more accurately predict survival following resection of colorectal liver metastases