Comparison of FDG uptake and TNM staging in non-small cell lung cancer

Objectives Positron Emission Tomography (PET) studies using 18FDG utilize a standard uptake value (SUV) to help differentiate between malignant and benign lesions. Tumors are staged using the TNM system, where T (T0-T4) represents the extent of the primary tumor, N (N0-N3) corresponds to lymph node involvement, and M (M0-M1) reflects the absence or presence of metastases. SUV and TNM values assist clinicians in cancer treatment and prognosis. The goal of this research is to determine if the SUV is related to the TNM staging in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Methods The dictated SUV and TNM staging of sixty-two patients who underwent an initial PET/CT scan for NSCLC were assessed. Three categories were evaluated: T1 vs T2-4, N0 vs N1-3, and M0 vs M1. A mean was then determined for each group.

Results The data shows that the mean SUV for T1, N0, and M1 are lower than T2-4, N1-3, and M0, respectively.

Conclusions An SUV below 10 for both T and N stages is indeterminate; however, an SUV greater than 10 for both T2-4 and N1-3 groups shows a stronger correlation. There appears to be no relationship between the SUV and M stage. A larger patient sample would provide more statistically accurate data