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18F-FDG PET/CT for early prediction of response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in breast cancer

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Abstract

Purpose

The aim of this study was to prospectively evaluate 18F-FDG PET/CT in predicting response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in large primary breast cancer.

Methods

Fifty consecutive patients underwent PET/CT at baseline and after the second cycle. Baseline MRI was performed to establish tumour size. All findings were confirmed by histopathological analysis. Changes in maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) between baseline study and after two cycles of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (epirubicin + cyclophosphamide + taxanes) were compared using response evaluation criteria in solid tumours (RECIST) criteria and the Miller and Payne (M&P) scale.

Results

The mean tumour size was 4.3 ± 1.4 cm. Forty patients were considered responders and ten as non-responders. SUVmax changes in patients with good prognosis (M&P grades 4–5) were higher than in patients with bad prognosis (M&P grades 1–3) (p = 0.025). SUVmax changes between responders and non-responders following RECIST criteria were also statistically significant (p = 0.0028). A cut-off ΔSUV value of 40% differentiates both groups, with a sensitivity of 77% and a specificity of 80%.

Conclusion

18F-FDG PET/CT can predict response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy at an early stage.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by ISCIII: FIS grant PI040840, RTICC RD06/0020/0038 and Marató TV3 053131.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Nuclear Medicine Department, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Villarroel, 170, 08036, Barcelona, Spain

    Joan Duch, David Fuster, Montserrat Muñoz, Pedro Luís Fernández, Pilar Paredes, Montserrat Fontanillas, Flavia Guzmán, Sebastià Rubí, Francisco Juan Lomeña & Francesca Pons

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  1. Joan Duch
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  2. David Fuster
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Correspondence to Joan Duch.

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Duch, J., Fuster, D., Muñoz, M. et al. 18F-FDG PET/CT for early prediction of response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in breast cancer. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging 36, 1551–1557 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00259-009-1116-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00259-009-1116-y

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