TABLE 3

Multivariate Analyses of SUVs and Survival

	OS		DFS		LRC inside field		LRC inside + outside field		Distant metastasis-free survival
Variable	Hazard ratio	P	Hazard ratio	P	Hazard ratio	P	Hazard ratio	P	Hazard ratio	P
Primary tumor SUV_max after RT	1.31	<0.0001	1.30	<0.0001	1.19	0.002^*	1.35	<0.0001		—
Regional LN^† SUV_max after RT	1.63	<0.0001	1.32	0.001^*	1.58	0.003	1.55	<0.0001		—
SUV_max sum of all LNs after RT		—		—		—	1.43	<0.0001		—
Target lesion^‡ SUV_max after RT	1.40	<0.0001	1.33	<0.0001	1.19	0.004^*	1.38	<0.0001	1.17	0.044^*
Reduction (%) in target lesion^‡ SUV_max	0.07	0.013	0.03	0.001^*	0.06	0.007^*	NA		0.07	0.028^*
Sum of primary tumor + LNs SUV_max after RT		—	1.15	<0.0001		—	1.19	<0.0001		—
Reduction (%) in sum of primary tumor + LNs SUV_max	0.10	0.053	0.06	0.033^*	0.06	0.020^*	NA			—

Variables shown are those that had statistical significance on univariate analysis.
↵* After stepwise backward elimination procedure, only this variable showed significance. Therefore, no other covariables could be included in final model for adjustment.
↵† Regional LN with highest SUV_max.
↵‡ Target lesion (either primary tumor or LN) with highest SUV_max.