Journal List > Korean J Gastroenterol > v.64(6) > 1007310

Choi, Shim, Kim, Jung, Jung, and Yoo: The Clinical Value of 18F-Fluorodeoxyglucose Uptake on Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography for Predicting Regional Lymph Node Metastasis and Non-curative Surgery in Primary Gastric Carcinoma

Abstract

Background/Aims

Accurate preoperative detection of regional lymph nodes and evaluation of tumor resectability is critical to determining the most adequate therapy for gastric cancer. The aim of this study is to identify a possible link between 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) uptake on PET scan combined with CT scan (PET/CT) and predictions of lymph node metastasis and non-curative surgery.

Methods

This study included 156 gastric cancer patients who underwent preoperative 18F-FDG PET/CT and surgery. In cases with perceptible FDG uptake in the primary tumor or lymph nodes, the maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) was calculated.

Results

In multivariate analysis, non-curative surgery (OR, 11.05; 95% CI, 1.10-111.08; p=0.041), tumor size (≥3 cm) (OR, 7.39; 95% CI, 2.41-22.70; p<0.001), and lymph node metastasis (OR, 5.47; 95% CI, 2.05-14.64; p=0.001) were significant independent predictors for 18F-FDG uptake in the primary tumors. Tumor size (tumor size ≥3 cm) (OR, 3.15; 95% CI, 1.16-8.58; p=0.025) and lymph node metastasis (OR, 3.36; 95% CI, 1.23-9.14; p=0.018) showed significant association with 18F-FDG uptake in lymph node. When the SUVmax of the primary gastric tumor was greater than 3.75, the sensitivity and specificity of PET/CT with regard to the diagnosis of metastatic lymph node were 73.5% and 74.5%. When the SUVmax of the primary gastric tumor was greater than 4.35 and the FDG uptake of lymph nodes was positive, non-curative surgery was predicted with a sensitivity of 58.8% and specificity of 91.6%.

Conclusions

A high FDG uptake of the gastric tumor was related to histologic positive lymph nodes and non-curative surgery.

References

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Fig. 1.
Receiver operator characteristics (ROC) curve of the maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) of primary tumor. (A) In ROC for detecting lymph node metastasis, an area under the curve of 0.795 was obtained (95% CI, 0.719-0.871; p<0.001). (B) In ROC for predicting non-curative surgery, area under the curve was 0.801 (95% CI, 0.722-0.879; p<0.001).
kjg-64-340f1.tif
Table 1.
Patient and Tumor Characteristics
Characteristic Value
Age (yr) 60.1±11.3
 Male 59.2±10.1
 Female 64.8±13.4
Gender  
 Male 104 (66.7)
 Female 52 (33.3)
Type of operation  
 Subtotal gastrectomy 127 (81.4)
 Total gastrectomy 29 (18.6)
Tumor size (mm) 31.4±25.2
Tumor location (part of the stomach)  
 Upper 12 (7.7)
 Middle 65 (41.7)
 Lower 76 (48.7)
 Whole 3 (1.9)
Depth of invasion  
 Tis 5 (3.2)
 T1 89 (57.1)
 T2 16 (10.3)
 T3 23 (14.7)
 T4 23 (14.7)
Histology  
 Tubular adenocarcinoma 113 (72.4)
  Well differentiated 33/112 (29.5)
  Moderately differentiated 43/112 (38.4)
  Poorly differentiated 36/112 (32.1)
 Mucinous 3 (1.9)
 Papillary 2 (1.3)
 Signet ring cell carcinoma 38 (24.4)
Lymph node metastasis  
 Negative 102/155 (65.8)
 Positive 53/155 (34.2)
Curability  
 Curative surgery 132 (84.6)
 Non-curative surgery 24 (15.4)
Extent of lymph node dissection  
 D0 2 (1.3)
 D1 4 (2.6)
 D2 129 (82.7)
 D3 21 (13.4)

Values are presented as mean±SD or n (%).

Table 2.
Comparison between the Status of 18F-FDG Uptake and Primary Tumor Characteristics in the Gastric Cancers
Variable 18F-FDG uptake in primary tumor
18F-FDG uptake in lymph node
Yes No p-value Yes No p-value
Total 104 (66.7) 52 (33.3)   43 (27.6) 113 (72.4)  
SUVmax of gastric tumor 6.7 (2.5-34.0) 0.3 (0–2.4)   5.0 (0–35.0) 2.3 (0–23.8)  
Age (yr)            
 ≥60 50 (64.9) 27 (35.1) 0.238 21 (27.3) 56 (72.7) 0.936
 <60 44 (55.7) 35 (44.3)   22 (27.8) 57 (72.2)  
Gender            
 Male 62 (59.6) 42 (40.4) 0.817 31 (29.8) 73 (70.2) 0.375
 Female 32 (61.5) 20 (38.5)   12 (23.1) 40 (76.9)  
Diabetes mellitus            
 Positive 17 (53.1) 15 (46.9) 0.355 12 (37.5) 20 (62.5) 0.158
 Negative 77 (62.1) 47 (37.9)   31 (25.0) 93 (75.0)  
Depth of invasion            
 AGC (T2-4) 53 (85.5) 9 (14.5) <0.001 30 (48.4) 32 (51.6) <0.001
 EGC (T1) 41 (43.6) 53 (56.4)   13 (13.8) 81 (86.2)  
Size (cm)            
 ≥3 59 (86.8) 9 (13.2) <0.001 33 (48.5) 35 (51.5) <0.001
 <3 35 (39.8) 53 (60.2)   10 (11.4) 78 (88.6)  
Tumor location (part of the stomach)            
 Upper 9 (75.0) 3 (25.0) 0.062 5 (41.7) 7 (58.3) 0.246
 Middle 32 (49.2) 33 (50.8)   15 (23.1) 50 (76.9)  
 Lower 50 (65.8) 26 (34.2)   21 (27.6) 55 (72.4)  
 Whole 3 (100.0) 0 (0.0)   2 (66.7) 1 (33.3)  
Histology            
 Tubular adenocarcinoma 70 (61.9) 43 (38.1) 0.078 31 (27.4) 82 (72.6) 0.081
 Signet ring cell carcinoma 19 (50.0) 19 (50.0)   10 (26.3) 28 (73.7)  
Differentiation            
 Moderately & poorly 59 (74.7) 20 (25.3) <0.001 29 (36.7) 50 (63.3) 0.004
 Well 11 (33.3) 22 (66.7)   2 (6.1) 31 (93.9)  
Lauren calssification            
 Diffuse & mixed 49 (61.2) 31 (38.8) 0.982 27 (33.8) 53 (66.2) 0.094
 Intestinal 43 (61.4) 27 (38.6)   15 (21.4) 55 (78.6)  
Tumor border by Ming            
 Expanding 11 (50.0) 11 (50.0) 0.118 2 (9.1) 20 (90.9) 0.056
 Infiltrating 30 (69.8) 13 (30.2)   13 (30.2) 30 (69.8)  
Lymph node metastasis            
 Positive 46 (86.8) 7 (13.2) <0.001 30 (56.6) 23 (43.3) <0.001
 Negative 47 (46.1) 55 (53.9)   13 (12.7) 89 (87.3)  
Curability            
 Curative 71 (53.8) 61 (46.2) <0.001 27 (20.5) 105 (79.5) <0.001
 Non-curative 23 (95.8) 1 (4.2)   16 (66.7) 8 (33.3)  

Values are presented as median (range) or n (%).

18F-FDG, 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose; AGC, advanced gastric cancer; EGC, early gastric cancer.

Table 3.
Significant Predictors of 18F-FDG Uptake by Multiple Regression Analysis
    18F-FDG uptake in primary tumor
18F-FDG uptake in lymph node
OR 95% CI p-value OR 95% CI p-value
Depth of invasion T2-4 2.17 0.68-6.92 0.191 1.21 0.41-3.58 0.728
Size (cm) ≥3 7.39 2.41-22.70 <0.001 3.15 1.16-8.58 0.025
Differentiation Lymph node metastasis Moderately & poorl Positive y 1.46 5.47 0.48-4.41 2.05-14.64 0.506 0.001 1.72 3.36 0.66-4.47 1.23-9.14 0.263 0.018
Curability of operation Non-curative 11.05 1.10-111.08 0.041 2.27 0.75-6.88 0.147

18F-FDG, 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose.

Table 4.
Prediction of Lymph Node Metastasis in Patients Who Underwent Operation
  Sensitivity Specificity Accuracy Positive predictive value
CT 69.8 69.6 71.2 54.4
Tumor SUVmax >3.75 73.5 74.5 74.1 60.0
Tumor SUVmax >3.75 & lymph node uptake(+) 47.2 94.1 96.2 80.6

SUVmax, the maximum standardized uptake value.

Table 5.
Prediction of Non-curative Surgery in Patients Who Underwent Operation
  Sensitivity Specificity Accuracy Positive predictive value
CT 45.8 93.9 86.5 57.9
Tumor SUVmax >4.35 83.3 78.0 78.8 40.8
Tumor SUVmax >4.35 & lymph node uptake(+) 58.8 91.6 86.5 56.0

SUVmax, the maximum standardized uptake value.

Table 6.
Role of CT and 18F-FDG PET/CT in Detecting Distant Metastasis and Peritoneal Carcinomatosis
No Metastasis in the pathologic finding
Metastasis in the radiologic finding
Peritonium Other organ CT finding PET/CT finding
1 Peritonium - Peritoneum Peritoneum
2 Peritonium Colon, small bowel Peritoneum -
3 Peritonium - - -
4 Peritonium Colon, spleen Peritoneum Peritoneum
5 Peritonium Colon - -
6 Peritonium Liver - Liver
7 - Small bowel - -
8 Peritonium Pancreas Ovary Ovary
9 Peritonium - Peritoneum -
10 Peritonium - - -
11 - Pancreas - -

-, negative finding.

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