Outcome analysis of (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron-emission tomography in patients with lung cancer after partial volume correction.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to evaluate the necessity for the partial volume effect (PVE) correction of the maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) in (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron-emission tomography (FDG-PET) for predicting outcome in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 191 patients, with tumor diameters ranging from 10-37 mm, underwent pre-operative FDG-PET and curative resection. The SUVmax (Pre-SUV) of the primary tumor was corrected (Cor-SUV) using a recovery coefficient curve based on phantom experiments. RESULTS: The 5-year overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) of the patients with high Pre-SUVs were lower than those with low Pre-SUVs (p<0.001 and p=0.002, respectively). The 5-year OS and DFS of patients with high Cor-SUVs were significantly lower than those with low Cor-SUVs (p<0.001 and p=0.005, respectively). CONCLUSION: Even without PVE correction, SUVmax was able to predict for outcome in patients with NSCLC.