PT Journal
AU Myslivecek, M
   Neoral, C
   Vrba, R
   Vomackova, K
   Cincibuch, J
   Formanek, R
   Koranda, P
   Zapletalova, J
TI The value of <sup>18</sup>F-FDG PET/CT in assessment of metabolic response in esophageal cancer for prediction of histopathological response and survival after preoperative chemoradiotherapy
SO Biomedical papers
PY 2012
BP 171
EP 179
VL 156
IS 2
DI 10.5507/bp.2011.048
DE esophageal carcinoma; neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy; 18F-FDG PET/CT; tumor response
AB Aim: To evaluate the ability of hybrid 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (<sup>18</sup>F-FDG PET/CT) to predict histopathological response and overall survival (OS) after preoperative neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (CRT) in patients with the esophageal carcinoma.Methods: 73 patients with locally advanced esophageal carcinoma were included in the study. All were treated with CRT and 34 subsequently underwent surgical resection of the esophagus. <sup>18</sup>F-FDG PET/CT was carried out prior to (PET/ CT1) and 6 weeks after (PET/CT2) completion of the CRT.Results: PET/CT2-determined complete metabolic response (CMR) was achieved in 6 (17.6%) out of 34 operated patients, the metabolic response was incomplete (NCMR) in 28 (82.4%) patients. A histopathological complete response (CR) to CRT was discovered in 7 patients (20.6%). The median OS in operated patients was 17.1 months, 95% CI:12.9-23.3 months. In a group of 39 non-operated patients, CMR after neoadjuvant CRT was achieved in 12 patients (30.8%), while NCMR was found in 28 (82.4%). The median OS was 13.5 months in this group, 95% CI: 4.4-22.7 months.Conclusion: No statistically significant correlation was found between the <sup>18</sup>F-FDG metabolic response after the neoadjuvant CRT and histopathological response. Presently, the contribution of <sup>18</sup>F-FDG PET/CT as a marker of the potential result of CRT cannot be considered definite. Another study with a larger sample of patients and standardized algorithms for the examining protocols would be necessary for reaching definitive conclusions.
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