Anzeige
Erschienen in:
20.12.2016 | Original Article
Correlation of pretreatment 18F-FDG PET tumor textural features with gene expression in pharyngeal cancer and implications for radiotherapy-based treatment outcomes
Erschienen in: European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging | Ausgabe 4/2017
Einloggen, um Zugang zu erhaltenAbstract
Purpose
This study investigated the correlation of the matrix heterogeneity of tumors on 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography–computed tomography (PET–CT) with gene-expression profiling in patients with pharyngeal cancer and determined the prognostic factors for radiotherapy-based treatment outcomes.
Methods
We retrospectively reviewed the records of 57 patients with stage III–IV oropharyngeal or hypopharyngeal cancer who had completed definitive therapy. Four groups of the textural features as well as 31 indices were studied in addition to maximum standard uptake value, metastatic tumor volume, and total lesion glycolysis. Immunohistochemical data from pretreatment biopsy specimens (Glut1, CAIX, VEGF, HIF-1α, EGFR, Ki-67, Bcl-2, CLAUDIN-4, YAP-1, c-Met, and p16) were analyzed. The relationships between the indices and genomic expression were studied, and the robustness of various textural features relative to cause-specific survival and primary relapse-free survival was analyzed.
Results
The overexpression of VEGF was positively associated with the increased values of the matrix heterogeneity obtained using gray-level nonuniformity for zone (GLNUz) and run-length nonuniformity (RLNU). Advanced T stage (p = 0.01, hazard ratio [HR] = 3.38), a VEGF immunoreactive score of >2 (p = 0.03, HR = 2.79), and a higher GLNUz value (p = 0.04, HR = 2.51) were prognostic factors for low cause-specific survival, whereas advanced T stage, a HIF-1α staining percentage of ≥80%, and a higher GLNUz value were prognostic factors for low primary-relapse free survival.
Conclusions
The overexpression of VEGF was associated with the increased matrix index of GLNUz and RLNU. For patients with pharyngeal cancer requiring radiotherapy, the treatment outcome can be stratified according to the textural features, T stage, and biomarkers.