A Prospective Evaluation of Staging and Target Volume Definition of Lymph Nodes by {sup 18}FDG PET/CT in Patients With Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Thoracic Esophagus
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Cancer Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai (China)
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Cancer Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai (China)
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Cancer Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai (China)
- Department of Pathology, Cancer Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai (China)
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX (United States)
Purpose: To determine an optimal standardized uptake value (SUV) threshold for detecting lymph node (LN) metastases in esophageal cancer using {sup 18}F-Fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computer tomography ({sup 18}FDG PET/CT) and to define the resulting nodal target volume, using histopathology as a 'gold standard.' Methods: Sixteen patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma who underwent radical esophagectomy and three-field LN dissection after {sup 18}FDG PET/CT and CT scans were enrolled into this study. Locations of LN groups were recorded according to a uniform LN map. Diagnostic performance of different SUV thresholds was assessed by receiver operating characteristic analysis. The optimal cutoff SUV was determined by plotting the false-negative rate (FNR) and false-positive rate (FPR), the sum of both error rates (FNR+FPR), and accuracy against a hypothetical SUV threshold. For each patient, nodal gross tumor volumes (GTVNs) were generated with CT alone (GTVNCT), PET/CT (GTVNPET), and pathologic data (GTVNpath). GTVNCT or GTVNPET was compared with GTVNpath by means of a conformity index (CI), which is the intersection of the two GTVNs divided by the sum of them minus the intersection, e.g., CI{sub CT} and {sub path} = GTVN{sub CT} and {sub path}/(GTVN{sub CT}+ GTVN{sub path} - GTVN{sub CT} and {sub path}). Results: LN metastases occurred in 21 LN groups among the 144 specimens taken from the 16 patients. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.9017 {+-} 0.0410. The plot of error rates showed a minimum of FNR+FPR for an SUV of 2.36, at which the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy were 76.19%, 95.93%, and 93.06%, respectively, whereas those of CT were 33.33%, 94.31%, and 85.42% (p values: 0.0117, 0.7539, and 0.0266). Mean GTVN{sub CT}, GTVN{sub PET}, and GTVN{sub path} were 1.52 {+-} 2.38, 2.82 {+-} 4.51, and 2.68 {+-} 4.16cm{sup 3}, respectively. Mean CI{sub CT} and {sub path} and CI{sub PET} and {sub path} were 0.31 and 0.65 (p value = 0.0352). Conclusions: Diagnostic superiority of PET/CT at an SUV threshold of 2.36 over CT has potential value in nodal target volume definition, but whether this can contribute to better treatment outcomes needs prospective analyses of recurrences in a larger cohort of patients.
- OSTI ID:
- 22054485
- Journal Information:
- International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology and Physics, Vol. 81, Issue 5; Other Information: Copyright (c) 2011 Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam, The Netherlands, All rights reserved.; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0360-3016
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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