Positron-emission tomography CT to identify local recurrence in stage I lung cancer patients 1 year after stereotactic body radiation therapy

Strahlenther Onkol. 2013 Jun;189(6):495-501. doi: 10.1007/s00066-013-0310-9. Epub 2013 Apr 24.

Abstract

Purpose: To evaluate the diagnostic value of positron-emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) in stage I lung cancer patients treated with stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT), who have suspicious or unclear local recurrence findings in CT 1 year after treatment.

Patients and methods: A group of 29 patients with unclear or suspicious CT findings 1 year after SBRT were examined with PET/CT. The ability of standard uptake values (SUVmax, SUVmean and posttherapeutic reduction in SUV) to detect local failure and identify patients at a high risk of disease-specific death was evaluated using logrank statistics. Histology and clinical follow-up were the gold standards for local recurrence.

Results: SUVmean greater than 3.44 (p = 0.001); SUVmax greater than 5.48 (p = 0.009) or a relative reduction in SUVmean or SUVmax of less than 43 (p = 0.030) or 52 % (p = 0.025), respectively, was indicative of local recurrence. These parameters also correlated with an increased risk of disease-specific death: SUVmean greater than 2.81 (p = 0.023); SUVmax greater than 3.45 (p = 0.007) or a relative reduction in SUVmean or SUVmax of less than 32 (p = 0.015) or 52 % (p = 0.013), respectively, was indicative of an increased risk of disease-specific death.

Conclusion: PET/CT performed 1 year after SBRT can reliably identify local recurrence and therefore help to clarify unclear CT findings. As posttherapeutic glucose metabolism also correlates with disease-specific survival, PET/CT may help to stratify lung cancer patients for additional treatment 1 year after SBRT.

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / mortality
  • Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / pathology
  • Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / surgery*
  • Disease-Free Survival
  • Female
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Humans
  • Lung Neoplasms / mortality
  • Lung Neoplasms / pathology
  • Lung Neoplasms / surgery*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Multimodal Imaging*
  • Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / diagnosis*
  • Neoplasm Staging
  • Positron-Emission Tomography*
  • Prognosis
  • Radiosurgery*
  • Salvage Therapy
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed*