PET Data Analysis Characteristics of 19 Studies Reviewed
| Study | Parameter variable | ROI technique | Observer |
| Schulte et al. (5) | TBR | ROIs were individually defined, expressing maximum tumor uptake, excluding areas of lower uptake within tumor. Identical configuration at contralateral extremity was used to obtain TBR. In each case ROIs > 2.6 cm2. | 2, independent (blinded) |
| Franzius et al. (6) | T/NT | Rectangular ROI was positioned around tumor activity in coronary slice with maximum tumor activity, with boundaries of ROI located just within apparent hypermetabolic zone. | 2, in consensus (blinded) |
| Smith et al. (7) | Influx constant K, DURBSA | ROIs were manually drawn around each lesion. Maximum pixel value of DUR or influx constant K within ROI was recorded. | 2, in consensus (blinded) |
| Nair et al. (8) | TBR | Identical ROIs were placed over tumor and contralateral normal limb. | 3, independent (not mentioned whether blinded) |
| Brücher et al. (9) | SUVmean | Circular ROI (1.5 cm in diameter) was manually placed in slice with maximum 18F-FDG uptake. SUVs were calculated using average activity values in ROI. | Not mentioned |
| Ryu et al. (10) | SUVmean | SUV of primary tumor was determined as mean value in 12-mm ROI positioned over area with highest activity within tumor as determined by visual analysis. | 2, independent (blinded) |
| Kitagawa et al. (11) | SUVmean | Round ROIs (5 mm in diameter) were placed over area of highest 18F-FDG uptake in tumor on static images. SUV = tissue radioactivity concentration (Bq/mL)/injected dose (Bq) per body weight (g). | 3, independent (blinded) |
| Brink et al. (12) | SUVmean | Average activity values were determined in intratumoral ROI placed on slice with maximum activity concentration. | 2, independent (not mentioned whether blinded) |
| Chen et al. (13) | SUV | Not mentioned. | 1, not mentioned whether blinded |
| Wieder et al. (14) | SUVmean | Circular ROIs (1.5 cm in diameter) were manually placed over all tumors at site of maximum 18F-FDG uptake on baseline scan. SUVs normalized to patient body weight were calculated from average activity values in ROI. | Not mentioned |
| Song et al. (15) | SUVmax | For semiquantitative analysis of increased 18F-FDG uptake lesion, maximum SUV based on body weight was calculated. | 1 |
| Cascini et al. (16) | SUVmean | Irregular ROIs were semiautomatically drawn manually on transaxial planes using region-growing method that included pixels above threshold value (between 20% and 50% of maximum pixel value). Table 1: SUVmean. | 1, not mentioned whether blinded |
| Huang et al. (17) | SUVmean | ROIs were hand-drawn over tumor for calculation of SUV. ROIs were drawn to follow contours of elevated 18F-FDG activity, as compared with normal tissue, contralateral to tumor site. | Not mentioned |
| Wieder et al. (18) | SUVmean | ROIs were manually placed over each primary tumor. Circular ROI of 1.5 cm (1.5 cm in diameter; 10 pixels) was placed on slice with maximum 18F-FDG uptake. SUVs were calculated using average activity values in ROI. | Not mentioned |
| Iagaru et al. (19) | SUVmax | ROIs were placed around regions of increased 18F-FDG uptake for SUVmax determination. | Not mentioned |
| Nishiyama et al. (20) | SUVmax | SUV was defined as tissue concentration of 18F-FDG (kBq/mL) in structure delineated by ROI divided by activity injected per gram of body weight (kBq/g). ROI was placed over entire primary tumor. SUVmax of primary tumor was used. | 2, not mentioned whether independent or in consensus or whether blinded |
| Benz et al. (21) | SUVmax | Manual delineation of ROI on consecutive axial slices of CT scan was used. SUVmax and SUVmean were calculated. | 1, blinded |
| Smithers et al. (22) | SUVmax | Maximum voxel activity in tumor was used for SUV quantification. | 1, not mentioned whether blinded |
| Ye et al. (23) | SUVmax | ROIs were individually defined for each patient on transverse sections of PET images. SUVmax was measured. | 2, independent (blinded) |
TBR: tumor-to-background ratio; T/NT: tumor-to-nontumor ratio; DUR: dose uptake ratio; DURBSA = dose uptake ratio body surface area; SUVmax = maximum standardized uptake value; SUVmean = mean standardized uptake value.