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. 2025 Jan;19(2):35-41.
doi: 10.1080/17520363.2024.2443379. Epub 2024 Dec 24.

Predictive value of 18F-FDG PET/CT metabolic parameters for lymph node metastasis of non-small cell lung cancer

Xiaopeng Yu  1 , Jianlin Wang  1 , Liqun Huang  1 , Long Xie  1 , Yingrui Su  1
Affiliations

Predictive value of 18F-FDG PET/CT metabolic parameters for lymph node metastasis of non-small cell lung cancer

Xiaopeng Yu et al. Biomark Med. 2025 Jan.

Abstract

Background: Lymph node metastasis is closely associated with the prognosis of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This study aimed to evaluate the role of preoperative 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) parameters in mediastinal lymph node metastasis in NSCLC.

Methods: One hundred patients with NSCLC who underwent surgery, systematic lymph node dissection, who had undergone 18FFDG PET/CT for initial staging were divided into two groups: lymph node metastasis and non-metastasis. The maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax), average standardized uptake value (SUVmean), SUV in the liver (SURliver), mediastinal blood pool (SURblood), metabolic tumor volume (MTV), and total lesion glycolysis (TLG) were detected in both groups. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to evaluate the parameters for predicting the diagnostic efficacy.

Results: The SUVmax, SUVmean, SURblood, SURliver, MTV, and TLG were higher in the group with lymph node metastasis than in the group without lymph node metastasis. The ROC analysis showed that 18F-FDG PET/CT demonstrated acceptable predictive ability with AUC of 0.964 (95% CI, 0.930-0.998).

Conclusions: The relative 18F-FDG PET/CT primary uptake and substitution parameters showed acceptable predictive efficacy for mediastinal lymph node metastasis in patients with NSCLC. Additional, SURblood has potential for clinical application.

Keywords: 18F-FDG PET/CT; Non-small cell lung cancer; SURblood; SURliver; SUVmax; SUVmean.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Patient selection flowchart.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Evaluation of clinical value of PET/CT parameters in mediastinal lymph node metastasis in NSCLC. ROC curve based on PET/CT parameters.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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