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Abstract

BACKGROUND:
The aim of this study was to determine the usefulness of combined positron emission tomography (PET)/magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) parameters provided by simultaneous 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET/MRI for the prediction of treatment failure in surgically resected head and neck cancer. We hypothesized that PET parameters corrected by tumor cellularity (combined PET/MRI parameters) could predict the prognosis. On regional PET, maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) was measured as metabolic parameters. In addition, metabolic tumor volume (MTV) and total lesion glycolysis (TLG) were checked as metabolo-volumetric parameters. Mean apparent diffusion coefficient (ADCmean) of tumor was evaluated as the MRI parameter on the ADC map. Ratios between metabolic/metabolo-volumetric parameters and ADC were calculated as combined PET/MRIparameters. PET, MRI, and combined PET/MRI parameters were compared with clinicopathologic parameters in terms of treatment failure.

RESULTS:
Seventy-two patients (mean age = 55.9 ± 14.6 year, M: F = 45: 27) who underwent simultaneous 18F-FDG PET/MRI before head and neck cancer surgery were retrospectively enrolled. Twenty-two patients (30.6%) showed tumor treatment failure after head and neck cancer surgery (mean treatment failure = 13.0 ± 7.0 months). In the univariate analysis, MTV (P = 0.044) and ratios between metabolo-volumetric parameters and ADC (MTV/ADCmean, P = 0.022; TLG/ADCmean, P = 0.044) demonstrated significance among 18F-FDG PET/MRI parameters. Lymphatic invasion (P = 0.044) and perineural invasion (P = 0.046) revealed significance among clinicopathologic parameters. In the multivariate analysis, MTV (P = 0.026), MTV/ADCmean (P = 0.011), and TLG/ADCmean (P = 0.002) with lymphatic invasion (P = 0.026, 0.026, and 0.044, respectively) showed significance.

CONCLUSIONS:
Combined PET/MRI parameters (PET metabolo-volumetric parameters corrected by tumor cellularity) could be effective predictors of tumor treatment failure after head and neck cancer surgery in addition to MTV and clinicopathologic parameter.

Author information

Kim YI1,2,3, Cheon GJ4,5, Kang SY2, Paeng JC2, Kang KW2, Lee DS2, Chung JK2.

1 Department of Nuclear Medicine, CHA Bundang Medical Center, CHA University, Seongnam, Republic of Korea.
2 Department of Nuclear Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
3 Department of Nuclear Medicine, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
4 Department of Nuclear Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea. larrycheon@gmail.com.
5 Department of Nuclear Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, 101 Daehak-ro, Chongno-gu, Seoul, 03080, Korea. larrycheon@gmail.com.