Skip to main content
Erschienen in: European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging 10/2013

01.10.2013 | Editorial

SUVmax of 2.5 should not be embraced as a magic threshold for separating benign from malignant lesions

verfasst von: Thomas C. Kwee, Gang Cheng, Marnix G. E. H. Lam, Sandip Basu, Abass Alavi

Erschienen in: European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging | Ausgabe 10/2013

Einloggen, um Zugang zu erhalten

Excerpt

Lesions of an indeterminate nature are often encountered in images such as those from CT and MRI. Examples include solitary pulmonary nodules and various incidentalomas that may be found in any body region. FDG PET can be useful in differentiating benign from malignant lesions, given the fact that malignant lesions generally have a higher glycolytic rate and consequently higher FDG uptake. Both visual image interpretation and (semiquantitative) standardized uptake value (SUV) measurements may be used for this purpose. Some clinicians advocate the use of a maximum SUV (SUVmax) threshold of 2.5 to separate benign from malignant lesions, which is based on the results of several old studies that were published more than 10 years ago [1, 2]. However, this approach suffers from major shortcomings, which may lead to patient mismanagement. This communication aims to clarify several important issues on the validity of using an SUVmax threshold of 2.5 to differentiate benign from malignant lesions. …
Literatur
1.
Zurück zum Zitat Hain SF, Curran KM, Beggs AD, Fogelman I, O’Doherty MJ, Maisey MN. FDG-PET as a “metabolic biopsy” tool in thoracic lesions with indeterminate biopsy. Eur J Nucl Med. 2001;28:1336–40.PubMedCrossRef Hain SF, Curran KM, Beggs AD, Fogelman I, O’Doherty MJ, Maisey MN. FDG-PET as a “metabolic biopsy” tool in thoracic lesions with indeterminate biopsy. Eur J Nucl Med. 2001;28:1336–40.PubMedCrossRef
2.
Zurück zum Zitat Beggs AD, Hain SF, Curran KM, O’Doherty MJ. FDG-PET as a “metabolic biopsy” tool in non-lung lesions with indeterminate biopsy. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging. 2002;29:542–6.PubMedCrossRef Beggs AD, Hain SF, Curran KM, O’Doherty MJ. FDG-PET as a “metabolic biopsy” tool in non-lung lesions with indeterminate biopsy. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging. 2002;29:542–6.PubMedCrossRef
3.
Zurück zum Zitat Thie JA. Understanding the standardized uptake value, its methods, and implications for usage. J Nucl Med. 2004;45:1431–4.PubMed Thie JA. Understanding the standardized uptake value, its methods, and implications for usage. J Nucl Med. 2004;45:1431–4.PubMed
4.
Zurück zum Zitat Graham MM, Badawi RD, Wahl RL. Variations in PET/CT methodology for oncologic imaging at U.S. academic medical centers: an imaging response assessment team survey. J Nucl Med. 2011;52:311–7.PubMedCrossRef Graham MM, Badawi RD, Wahl RL. Variations in PET/CT methodology for oncologic imaging at U.S. academic medical centers: an imaging response assessment team survey. J Nucl Med. 2011;52:311–7.PubMedCrossRef
5.
Zurück zum Zitat Boellaard R, O’Doherty MJ, Weber WA, Mottaghy FM, Lonsdale MN, Stroobants SG, et al. FDG PET and PET/CT: EANM procedure guidelines for tumour PET imaging: version 1.0. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging. 2010;37:181–200.PubMedCrossRef Boellaard R, O’Doherty MJ, Weber WA, Mottaghy FM, Lonsdale MN, Stroobants SG, et al. FDG PET and PET/CT: EANM procedure guidelines for tumour PET imaging: version 1.0. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging. 2010;37:181–200.PubMedCrossRef
6.
Zurück zum Zitat Basu S, Alavi A. Partial volume correction of standardized uptake values and the dual time point in FDG-PET imaging: should these be routinely employed in assessing patients with cancer? Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging. 2007;34:1527–9.PubMedCrossRef Basu S, Alavi A. Partial volume correction of standardized uptake values and the dual time point in FDG-PET imaging: should these be routinely employed in assessing patients with cancer? Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging. 2007;34:1527–9.PubMedCrossRef
7.
Zurück zum Zitat Basu S, Kwee TC, Torigian D, Saboury B, Alavi A. Suboptimal and inadequate quantification: an alarming crisis in medical applications of PET. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging. 2011;38:1381–2.PubMedCrossRef Basu S, Kwee TC, Torigian D, Saboury B, Alavi A. Suboptimal and inadequate quantification: an alarming crisis in medical applications of PET. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging. 2011;38:1381–2.PubMedCrossRef
8.
Zurück zum Zitat Hickeson M, Yun M, Matthies A, Zhuang H, Adam LE, Lacorte L, et al. Use of a corrected standardized uptake value based on the lesion size on CT permits accurate characterization of lung nodules on FDG-PET. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging. 2002;29:1639–47.PubMedCrossRef Hickeson M, Yun M, Matthies A, Zhuang H, Adam LE, Lacorte L, et al. Use of a corrected standardized uptake value based on the lesion size on CT permits accurate characterization of lung nodules on FDG-PET. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging. 2002;29:1639–47.PubMedCrossRef
9.
Zurück zum Zitat Soret M, Bacharach SL, Buvat I. Partial-volume effect in PET tumor imaging. J Nucl Med. 2007;48:932–45.PubMedCrossRef Soret M, Bacharach SL, Buvat I. Partial-volume effect in PET tumor imaging. J Nucl Med. 2007;48:932–45.PubMedCrossRef
10.
Zurück zum Zitat Hoetjes NJ, van Velden FH, Hoekstra OS, Hoekstra CJ, Krak NC, Lammertsma AA, et al. Partial volume correction strategies for quantitative FDG PET in oncology. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging. 2010;37:1679–87.PubMedCrossRef Hoetjes NJ, van Velden FH, Hoekstra OS, Hoekstra CJ, Krak NC, Lammertsma AA, et al. Partial volume correction strategies for quantitative FDG PET in oncology. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging. 2010;37:1679–87.PubMedCrossRef
11.
Zurück zum Zitat Basu S, Saboury B, Torigian DA, Alavi A. Current evidence base of FDG-PET/CT imaging in the clinical management of malignant pleural mesothelioma: emerging significance of image segmentation and global disease assessment. Mol Imaging Biol. 2011;13:801–11.PubMedCrossRef Basu S, Saboury B, Torigian DA, Alavi A. Current evidence base of FDG-PET/CT imaging in the clinical management of malignant pleural mesothelioma: emerging significance of image segmentation and global disease assessment. Mol Imaging Biol. 2011;13:801–11.PubMedCrossRef
12.
Zurück zum Zitat Musiek ES, Saboury B, Mishra S, Chen Y, Reddin JS, Newberg AB, et al. Feasibility of estimation of brain volume and 2-deoxy-2-(18)F-fluoro-D-glucose metabolism using a novel automated image analysis method: application in Alzheimer’s disease. Hell J Nucl Med. 2012;15:190–6.PubMed Musiek ES, Saboury B, Mishra S, Chen Y, Reddin JS, Newberg AB, et al. Feasibility of estimation of brain volume and 2-deoxy-2-(18)F-fluoro-D-glucose metabolism using a novel automated image analysis method: application in Alzheimer’s disease. Hell J Nucl Med. 2012;15:190–6.PubMed
13.
Zurück zum Zitat Cheng G, Alavi A, Lim E, Werner TJ, Del Bello CV, Akers SR. Dynamic changes of FDG uptake and clearance in normal tissues. Mol Imaging Biol. 2013;15:345–52.PubMedCrossRef Cheng G, Alavi A, Lim E, Werner TJ, Del Bello CV, Akers SR. Dynamic changes of FDG uptake and clearance in normal tissues. Mol Imaging Biol. 2013;15:345–52.PubMedCrossRef
14.
Zurück zum Zitat Cheng G, Torigian DA, Zhuang H, Alavi A. When should we recommend use of dual time-point and delayed time-point imaging techniques in FDG PET? Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging. 2013;40:779–87.PubMedCrossRef Cheng G, Torigian DA, Zhuang H, Alavi A. When should we recommend use of dual time-point and delayed time-point imaging techniques in FDG PET? Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging. 2013;40:779–87.PubMedCrossRef
15.
Zurück zum Zitat Sathekge MM, Maes A, Pottel H, Stoltz A, van de Wiele C. Dual time-point FDG PET-CT for differentiating benign from malignant solitary pulmonary nodules in a TB endemic area. S Afr Med J. 2010;100:598–601.PubMed Sathekge MM, Maes A, Pottel H, Stoltz A, van de Wiele C. Dual time-point FDG PET-CT for differentiating benign from malignant solitary pulmonary nodules in a TB endemic area. S Afr Med J. 2010;100:598–601.PubMed
16.
Zurück zum Zitat Shreve PD, Anzai Y, Wahl RL. Pitfalls in oncologic diagnosis with FDG PET imaging: physiologic and benign variants. Radiographics. 1999;19:61–77.PubMed Shreve PD, Anzai Y, Wahl RL. Pitfalls in oncologic diagnosis with FDG PET imaging: physiologic and benign variants. Radiographics. 1999;19:61–77.PubMed
17.
Zurück zum Zitat Kwee TC, Basu S, Saboury B, Ambrosini V, Torigian DA, Alavi A. A new dimension of FDG-PET interpretation: assessment of tumor biology. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging. 2011;38:1158–70.PubMedCrossRef Kwee TC, Basu S, Saboury B, Ambrosini V, Torigian DA, Alavi A. A new dimension of FDG-PET interpretation: assessment of tumor biology. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging. 2011;38:1158–70.PubMedCrossRef
Metadaten
Titel
SUVmax of 2.5 should not be embraced as a magic threshold for separating benign from malignant lesions
verfasst von
Thomas C. Kwee
Gang Cheng
Marnix G. E. H. Lam
Sandip Basu
Abass Alavi
Publikationsdatum
01.10.2013
Verlag
Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Erschienen in
European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging / Ausgabe 10/2013
Print ISSN: 1619-7070
Elektronische ISSN: 1619-7089
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00259-013-2484-x

Weitere Artikel der Ausgabe 10/2013

European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging 10/2013 Zur Ausgabe