Clinical and FDG-PET/CT Suspicion of Malignant Disease: Is Biopsy Confirmation Still Necessary?

Background: Biopsy of 18F-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG)-avid lesions suspected for malignancy remains an invasive procedure associated with a variety of risks. It is still unclear if the positive predictive value (PPV) of positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) is sufficiently high to avoid tissue sampling. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the PPV of 18F-FDG-PET/CT for malignancy in patients with a clinical suspicion of active malignant disease. Methods: This single-center retrospective study included 83 patients who had undergone FDG-PET/CT within 60 days before CT- or ultrasonography-guided tissue sampling and whose request form for CT- or US-guided tissue sampling requested mutation analyses. The latter implies a high clinical suspicion of active malignant disease. The nature of each biopsied lesion was determined based on the results of the pathological analysis and/or clinical and imaging follow-up of at least 12 months. Results: In total, eighty-eight FDG-avid lesions were biopsied. The PPV of FDG-PET/CT for malignancy was 98.9% (95% CI: 93.8–99.8%). For patients with an oncological history, the PPV was 98.7% (95% CI: 92.9–99.8%), and for patients with no oncological history, the PPV was 100% (95% CI: 74.1–100.0%). There was no significant difference between the PPV of the group with and without an oncological history (p = 0.71). In two cases, an unsuspected malignancy was diagnosed. Conclusion: Although the PPV of FDG-PET/CT for malignancy in patients with a clinical suspicion of active malignant disease is high, biopsy remains recommended to avoid inappropriate patient management due the non-negligible chance of dealing with FDG-avid benign disease or unexpected malignancies.

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Clinical Value of Fluorine-18 2-Fluoro-2-Deoxy-D-Glucose Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography in Bladder Cancer

Journal of Clinical Oncology ◽

10.1200/jco.2010.28.7052 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 28 (25) ◽

pp. 3973-3978 ◽

Cited By ~ 93

Author(s):

Andrea B. Apolo ◽

Jamie Riches ◽

Heiko Schöder ◽

Oguz Akin ◽

Alisa Trout ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Computed Tomography ◽

Positron Emission Tomography ◽

Bladder Cancer ◽

Sensitivity And Specificity ◽

Fdg Pet ◽

Malignant Disease ◽

Emission Tomography ◽

Positron Emission ◽

Pet Ct ◽

Fdg Pet Ct

Purpose Fluorine-18 2-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) has been approved for imaging in many malignancies but not for bladder cancer. This study investigated the value of FDG-PET/CT imaging in the management of patients with advanced bladder cancer. Patients and Methods Between May 2006 and February 2008, 57 patients with bladder cancer at our center underwent FDG-PET/CT after CT (n = 52) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI; n = 5). The accuracy of FDG-PET/CT was assessed using both organ-based and patient-based analyses. FDG-PET/CT findings were validated by either biopsy or serial CT/MRI. Clinician questionnaires performed before and after FDG-PET/CT assessed whether those scan results affected management. Results One hundred thirty-five individual lesions were evaluable in 47 patients for the organ-based analysis. Overall sensitivity and specificity were 87% (95% CI, 76% to 94%) and 88% (95% CI, 78% to 95%), respectively. In the patient-based analysis, malignant disease was correctly diagnosed in 25 of 31 patients, resulting in a sensitivity of 81% (95% CI, 63% to 93%). FDG-PET/CT was negative in 15 of 16 patients without malignant lesions for a specificity of 94% (95% CI, 71% to 100%). Pre- and post-PET surveys revealed that FDG-PET/CT detected more malignant disease than conventional CT/MRI in 40% of patients. Post-PET surveys showed that clinicians changed their planned management in 68% of patients based on the FDG-PET/CT results. Conclusion FDG-PET/CT has excellent sensitivity and specificity in the detection of metastatic bladder cancer and provides additional diagnostic information that enhances clinical management more than CT/MRI alone. FDG-PET/CT scans may provide better accuracy in clinical information for directing therapy.

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[F18] FDG-PET/CT for manual or semiautomated GTV delineation of the primary tumor for radiation therapy planning in patients with esophageal cancer: is it useful?

Strahlentherapie und Onkologie ◽

10.1007/s00066-020-01701-0 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Franziska Walter ◽

Constanze Jell ◽

Barbara Zollner ◽

Claudia Andrae ◽

Sabine Gerum ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Esophageal Cancer ◽

Primary Tumor ◽

Fdg Pet ◽

Interobserver Variability ◽

Target Volume ◽

Standardized Uptake Values ◽

Positron Emission ◽

Pet Ct ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Fdg Pet Ct

Abstract Background Target volume definition of the primary tumor in esophageal cancer is usually based on computed tomography (CT) supported by endoscopy and/or endoscopic ultrasound and can be difficult given the low soft-tissue contrast of CT resulting in large interobserver variability. We evaluated the value of a dedicated planning [F18] FDG-Positron emission tomography/computer tomography (PET/CT) for harmonization of gross tumor volume (GTV) delineation and the feasibility of semiautomated structures for planning purposes in a large cohort. Methods Patients receiving a dedicated planning [F18] FDG-PET/CT (06/2011–03/2016) were included. GTV was delineated on CT and on PET/CT (GTVCT and GTVPET/CT, respectively) by three independent radiation oncologists. Interobserver variability was evaluated by comparison of mean GTV and mean tumor lengths, and via Sørensen–Dice coefficients (DSC) for spatial overlap. Semiautomated volumes were constructed based on PET/CT using fixed standardized uptake values (SUV) thresholds (SUV30, 35, and 40) or background- and metabolically corrected PERCIST-TLG and Schaefer algorithms, and compared to manually delineated volumes. Results 45 cases were evaluated. Mean GTVCT and GTVPET/CT were 59.2/58.0 ml, 65.4/64.1 ml, and 60.4/59.2 ml for observers A–C. No significant difference between CT- and PET/CT-based delineation was found comparing the mean volumes or lengths. Mean Dice coefficients on CT and PET/CT were 0.79/0.77, 0.81/0.78, and 0.8/0.78 for observer pairs AB, AC, and BC, respectively, with no significant differences. Mean GTV volumes delineated semiautomatically with SUV30/SUV35/SUV40/Schaefer’s and PERCIST-TLG threshold were 69.1/23.9/18.8/18.6 and 70.9 ml. The best concordance of a semiautomatically delineated structure with the manually delineated GTVCT/GTVPET/CT was observed for PERCIST-TLG. Conclusion We were not able to show that the integration of PET/CT for GTV delineation of the primary tumor resulted in reduced interobserver variability. The PERCIST-TLG algorithm seemed most promising compared to other thresholds for further evaluation of semiautomated delineation of esophageal cancer.

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Prevalence of interstitial pneumonia suggestive of COVID-19 at 18F-FDG PET/CT in oncological asymptomatic patients in a high prevalence country during pandemic period: a national multi-centric retrospective study

European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging ◽

10.1007/s00259-021-05219-0 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Domenico Albano ◽

◽

Francesco Bertagna ◽

Pierpaolo Alongi ◽

Sergio Baldari ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Interstitial Pneumonia ◽

Fdg Pet ◽

Control Period ◽

Asymptomatic Patients ◽

Positron Emission ◽

Pet Ct ◽

Significant Difference ◽

High Prevalence ◽

Fdg Pet Ct ◽

And Control

Abstract Purpose To assess the presence and pattern of incidental interstitial lung alterations suspicious of COVID-19 on fluorine-18-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) ([18F]FDG PET/CT) in asymptomatic oncological patients during the period of active COVID-19 in a country with high prevalence of the virus. Methods This is a multi-center retrospective observational study involving 59 Italian centers. We retrospectively reviewed the prevalence of interstitial pneumonia detected during the COVID period (between March 16 and 27, 2020) and compared to a pre-COVID period (January–February 2020) and a control time (in 2019). The diagnosis of interstitial pneumonia was done considering lung alterations of CT of PET. Results Overall, [18F]FDG PET/CT was performed on 4008 patients in the COVID period, 19,267 in the pre-COVID period, and 5513 in the control period. The rate of interstitial pneumonia suspicious for COVID-19 was significantly higher during the COVID period (7.1%) compared with that found in the pre-COVID (5.35%) and control periods (5.15%) (p < 0.001). Instead, no significant difference among pre-COVID and control periods was present. The prevalence of interstitial pneumonia detected at PET/CT was directly associated with geographic virus diffusion, with the higher rate in Northern Italy. Among 284 interstitial pneumonia detected during COVID period, 169 (59%) were FDG-avid (average SUVmax of 4.1). Conclusions A significant increase of interstitial pneumonia incidentally detected with [18F]FDG PET/CT has been demonstrated during the COVID-19 pandemic. A majority of interstitial pneumonia were FDG-avid. Our results underlined the importance of paying attention to incidental CT findings of pneumonia detected at PET/CT, and these reports might help to recognize early COVID-19 cases guiding the subsequent management.

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Brain Positron Emission Tomography-Computed Tomography Gender Differences in Tinnitus Patients

Journal of the American Academy of Audiology ◽

10.3766/jaaa.15067 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 27 (09) ◽

pp. 714-719 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Nathan Shlamkovich ◽

Haim Gavriel ◽

Ephraim Eviatar ◽

Mordechay Lorberboym ◽

Eliad Aviram

Keyword(s):

Computed Tomography ◽

Positron Emission Tomography ◽

Fdg Pet ◽

Emission Tomography ◽

Positron Emission ◽

Pet Ct ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Therapeutic Protocols ◽

And Gender ◽

Fdg Pet Ct

Background: Increased metabolism in the left auditory cortex has been reported in tinnitus patients. However, gender difference has not been addressed. Purpose: To assess the differences in Positron emission tomography–computed tomography (PET-CT) results between the genders in tinnitus patients. Research Design: Retrospective cohort. Study Sample: Included were patients referred to our clinic between January 2011 and August 2013 who complained of tinnitus and underwent fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)-PET to assess brain metabolism. Data Analysis: Univariate and multivariate nominal logistic regressions were used to evaluate the association between upper temporal gyrus (UTG; right and left) and gender. Results: Included were 140 patients (87 males) with an average age of 52.5 yr (median = 53.1). Bilateral tinnitus was found in 85 patients (60.7%), left sided in 30 (21.4%), and right sided in 21(15%). Increased uptake in the UTG was found in 60% of the patients on either side. Males had a statistically significant increased uptake in the UTG in those with unilateral tinnitus and in the entire population. Conclusions: We present the largest study reported so far on tinnitus patients who have undergone FDG-PET-CT. We found a statistically significant difference between the genders in FDG uptake by the UTG. Further investigations should be undertaken to reveal the etiologies for these differences and to assess different therapeutic protocols according to gender.

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FDG-PET/CT Assessment of Pulmonary Sarcoidosis: A Guide for Internists

Current Medical Imaging Formerly Current Medical Imaging Reviews ◽

10.2174/1573405614666180528101755 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 15 (1) ◽

pp. 21-25 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Marco Tana ◽

Silvio di Carlo ◽

Marcello Romano ◽

Massimo Alessandri ◽

Cosima Schiavone ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Computed Tomography ◽

Fdg Pet ◽

Correct Diagnosis ◽

Pulmonary Sarcoidosis ◽

High Resolution Computed Tomography ◽

Inflammatory Conditions ◽

Positron Emission ◽

Pet Ct ◽

Noncaseating Granulomas ◽

Fdg Pet Ct

Background:18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography integrated with computed tomography (18-F-FDG-PET/CT) is getting wide consensus in the diagnosis and staging of neoplastic disorders and represents a useful tool in the assessment of various inflammatory conditions. </P><P> Discussion: Sarcoidosis is an uncommon disease characterized by the systemic formation of noncaseating granulomas. Lungs are the sites most often affected, and investigation with high resolution computed tomography and biopsy is essential to achieve a correct diagnosis. 18-F-FDGPET/ CT is effective in the assessment of pulmonary sarcoidosis by demonstrating pulmonary and extrathoracic involvement and findings correlate well with pulmonary function in patients affected.Conclusion:This review would illustrate the usefulness and limits of 18-F-FDG-PET/CT in the assessment of pulmonary sarcoidosis.

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The impact of particulate electron paramagnetic resonance oxygen sensors on fluorodeoxyglucose imaging characteristics detected via positron emission tomography

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-82754-8 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Philip E. Schaner ◽

Ly-Binh-An Tran ◽

Bassem I. Zaki ◽

Harold M. Swartz ◽

Eugene Demidenko ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Fdg Pet ◽

Oxygen Sensor ◽

Oxygen Sensors ◽

Paramagnetic Resonance ◽

Imaging Characteristics ◽

Positron Emission ◽

Pet Ct ◽

Fdg Pet Ct ◽

The Impact ◽

Electron Paramagnetic

AbstractDuring a first-in-humans clinical trial investigating electron paramagnetic resonance tumor oximetry, a patient injected with the particulate oxygen sensor Printex ink was found to have unexpected fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) uptake in a dermal nodule via positron emission tomography (PET). This nodule co-localized with the Printex ink injection; biopsy of the area, due to concern for malignancy, revealed findings consistent with ink and an associated inflammatory reaction. Investigations were subsequently performed to assess the impact of oxygen sensors on FDG-PET/CT imaging. A retrospective analysis of three clinical tumor oximetry trials involving two oxygen sensors (charcoal particulates and LiNc-BuO microcrystals) in 22 patients was performed to evaluate FDG imaging characteristics. The impact of clinically used oxygen sensors (carbon black, charcoal particulates, LiNc-BuO microcrystals) on FDG-PET/CT imaging after implantation in rat muscle (n = 12) was investigated. The retrospective review revealed no other patients with FDG avidity associated with particulate sensors. The preclinical investigation found no injected oxygen sensor whose mean standard uptake values differed significantly from sham injections. The risk of a false-positive FDG-PET/CT scan due to oxygen sensors appears low. However, in the right clinical context the potential exists that an associated inflammatory reaction may confound interpretation.

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Advantages of 18F-FDG PET/CT Imaging over Modified Duke Criteria and Clinical Presumption in Patients with Challenging Suspicion of Infective Endocarditis

Diagnostics ◽

10.3390/diagnostics11040720 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (4) ◽

pp. 720

Author(s):

Valentin Pretet ◽

Cyrille Blondet ◽

Yvon Ruch ◽

Matias Martinez ◽

Soraya El Ghannudi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Infective Endocarditis ◽

Predictive Value ◽

Fdg Pet ◽

Clinical Suspicion ◽

Duke Criteria ◽

High Clinical Suspicion ◽

Pet Ct ◽

18F Fdg ◽

Sensitivity Specificity ◽

Fdg Pet Ct

According to European Society of Cardiology guidelines (ESC2015) for infective endocarditis (IE) management, modified Duke criteria (mDC) are implemented with a degree of clinical suspicion degree, leading to grades such as “possible” or “rejected” IE despite a persisting high level of clinical suspicion. Herein, we evaluate the 18F-FDG PET/CT diagnostic and therapeutic impact in IE suspicion, with emphasis on possible/rejected IE with a high clinical suspicion. Excluding cases of definite IE diagnosis, 53 patients who underwent 18F-FDG PET/CT for IE suspicion were selected and afterwards classified according to both mDC (possible IE/Duke 1, rejected IE/Duke 0) and clinical suspicion degree (high and low IE suspicion). The final status regarding IE diagnosis (gold standard) was based on the multidisciplinary decision of the Endocarditis Team, including the ‘imaging specialist’. PET/CT images of the cardiac area were qualitatively interpreted and the intensity of each focus of extra-physiologic 18F-FDG uptake was evaluated by a maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) measurement. Extra-cardiac 18F-FDG PET/CT pathological findings were considered to be a possible embolic event, a possible source of IE, or even a concomitant infection. Based on the Endocarditis Team consensus, final diagnosis of IE was retained in 19 (36%) patients and excluded in 34 (64%). With a sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), and global accuracy of 79%, 100%, 100%, 89%, and 92%, respectively, PET/CT performed significantly better than mDC (p = 0.003), clinical suspicion degree (p = 0.001), and a combination of both (p = 0.001) for IE diagnosis. In 41 patients with possible/rejected IE but high clinical suspicion, sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV, and global accuracies were 78%, 100%, 100%, 85%, and 90%, respectively. Moreover, PET/CT contributed to patient management in 24 out of 53 (45%) cases. 18F-FDG PET/CT represents a valuable diagnostic tool that could be proposed for challenging IE cases with significant differences between mDC and clinical suspicion degree. 18F-FDG PET/CT allows a binary diagnosis (definite or rejected IE) by removing uncertain diagnostic situations, thus improving patient therapeutic management.

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Role of 18F-PET-CT to predict pathological response after neoadjuvant treatment of rectal cancer

Discover Oncology ◽

10.1007/s12672-021-00405-w ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Riccardo Caruso ◽

Emilio Vicente ◽

Yolanda Quijano ◽

Hipolito Duran ◽

Isabel Fabra ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Rectal Cancer ◽

Fdg Pet ◽

Locally Advanced ◽

Neoadjuvant Treatment ◽

Standardized Uptake Value ◽

Tumour Regression Grade ◽

Pet Ct ◽

Significant Difference ◽

18F Fdg ◽

Fdg Pet Ct

Abstract Objectives Neoadjuvant chemoradiation (nCRT) is universally considered to be a valid treatment to achieve downstaging, to improve local disease control and to obtain better resectability in locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC). The aim of this study is to correlate the change in the tumour 18F-FDG PET-CT standardized uptake value (SUV) before and after nCRT, in order to obtain an early prediction of the pathologic response (pR) achieved in patients with LARC. Data description We performed a retrospective analysis of patients with LARC diagnosis who underwent curative resection. All patients underwent a baseline 18F-FDG PET-CT scan within the week prior to the initiation of the treatment (PET-CT SUV1) and a second scan (PET-CT SUV2) within 6 weeks of the completion of nCRT. We evaluated the prognostic value of 18F-FDG PET-CT in terms of disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) in patients with LARC.A total of 133 patients with LARC were included in the study. Patients were divided in two groups according to the TRG (tumour regression grade): 107 (80%) as the responders group (TRG0-TRG1) and 26 (25%) as the no-responders group (TRG2-TRG3). We obtained a significant difference in Δ%SUV between the two different groups; responders versus no-responders (p < 0.012). The results of this analysis show that 18F-FDG PET-CT may be an indicator to evaluate the pR to nCRT in patients with LARC. The decrease in 18F-FDG PET-CT uptake in the primary tumour may offer important information in order for an early identification of those patients more likely to obtain a pCR to nCRT and to predict those who are unlikely to significantly regress.

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Splenic uptake on FDG PET/CT correlates with Kikuchi-Fujimoto disease severity

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-90350-z ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Hye Seong ◽

Yong Hyu Jeong ◽

Woon Ji Lee ◽

Jun Hyoung Kim ◽

Jung Ho Kim ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Disease Severity ◽

Fdg Pet ◽

Tertiary Care ◽

Clinical Manifestations ◽

Standardized Uptake Value ◽

Total Lesion Glycolysis ◽

Positron Emission ◽

Pet Ct ◽

Systemic Symptoms ◽

Fdg Pet Ct

AbstractKikuchi-Fujimoto disease (KFD) is usually self-limiting, but prolonged systemic symptoms often result in frequent hospital visits, long admission durations, or missed workdays. We investigated the role of fluorine-18 fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (18F-FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) in assessing KFD severity. We reviewed the records of 31 adult patients with pathologically confirmed KFD who underwent 18F-FDG PET/CT between November 2007 and April 2018 at a tertiary-care referral hospital. Disease severity was assessed using criteria based on clinical manifestations of advanced KFD. Systemic activated lymph nodes and severity of splenic activation were determined using semi-quantitative and volumetric PET/CT parameters. The median of the mean splenic standardized uptake value (SUVmean) was higher in patients with severe KFD than those with mild KFD (2.38 ± 1.18 vs. 1.79 ± 0.99, p = 0.058). Patients with severe KFD had more systemically activated volume and glycolytic activity than those with mild KFD (total lesion glycolysis: 473.5 ± 504.4 vs. 201.6 ± 363.5, p = 0.024). Multivariate logistic regression showed that myalgia (odds ratio [OR] 0.035; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.001–0.792; p = 0.035), total lymph node SUVmax (cutoff 9.27; OR 24.734; 95% CI 1.323–462.407; p = 0.032), and spleen SUVmean (cutoff 1.79; OR 37.770; 95% CI 1.769–806.583; p = 0.020) were significantly associated with severe KFD. 18F-FDG PET/CT could be useful in assessing KFD severity.

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18F-FDG PET/CT Parameters for Predicting Prognosis in Esophageal Cancer Patients Treated With Concurrent Chemoradiotherapy

Technology in Cancer Research & Treatment ◽

10.1177/15330338211024655 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 20 ◽

pp. 153303382110246

Author(s):

Seokmo Lee ◽

Yunseon Choi ◽

Geumju Park ◽

Sunmi Jo ◽

Sun Seong Lee ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Esophageal Cancer ◽

Cancer Patients ◽

Fdg Pet ◽

Concurrent Chemoradiotherapy ◽

Curative Intent ◽

Squamous Cell Esophageal Cancer ◽

Pet Ct ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Fdg Pet Ct

Background and Aims: This study evaluated the prognostic value of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography with integrated computed tomography (18F-FDG PET/CT) performed before and after concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) in esophageal cancer. Methods: We analyzed the prognosis of 50 non-metastatic squamous cell esophageal cancer (T1-4N0-2) patients who underwent CCRT with curative intent at Inje University Busan Paik Hospital and Haeundae Paik Hospital from 2009 to 2019. Median total radiation dose was 54 Gy (range 34-66 Gy). Our aim was to investigate the relationship between PET/CT values and prognosis. The primary end point was progression-free survival (PFS). Results: The median follow-up period was 9.9 months (range 1.7-85.7). Median baseline maximum standard uptake value (SUVmax) was 14.2 (range 3.2-27.7). After treatment, 29 patients (58%) showed disease progression. The 3-year PFS and overall survival (OS) were 24.2% and 54.5%, respectively. PFS was significantly lower ( P = 0.015) when SUVmax of initial PET/CT exceeded 10 (n = 22). However, OS did not reach a significant difference based on maximum SUV ( P = 0.282). Small metabolic tumor volume (≤14.1) was related with good PFS ( P = 0.002) and OS ( P = 0.001). Small total lesion of glycolysis (≤107.3) also had a significant good prognostic effect on PFS ( P = 0.009) and OS ( P = 0.025). In a subgroup analysis of 18 patients with follow-up PET/CT, the patients with SUV max ≤3.5 in follow-up PET/CT showed longer PFS ( P = 0.028) than those with a maximum SUV >3.5. Conclusion: Maximum SUV of PET/CT is useful in predicting prognosis of esophageal cancer patients treated with CCRT. Efforts to find more effective treatments for patients at high risk of progression are still warranted.

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