Prognostic significance of standardised uptake value ( SUV max ) measured on 18F‐fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography in patients with small cell lung cancer

Certain prognostic factors for small cell lung cancer ( SCLC ) have been validated, but the prognostic role of 18F‐ FDG PET / CT still remains unclear. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prognostic significance of 18F‐ FDG PET / CT in patients with SCLC . We reviewed 142 patients with pathologically proven SCLC who underwent pre‐treatment 18F‐ FDG PET / CT . Standardised uptake value (SUV max ) and other potential prognostic variables were chosen for analysis. The mean age of the study population was 58.2 ± 10.1 years (range, 25–84), and 124 (87.3%) patients were men. The median SUV max value was 11.6 (4.0–29.3). Among the variables included in the univariate analysis, performance status ( P  = 0.001), disease stage ( P  < 0.001), administration of thoracic radiotherapy (TRT; P  < 0.001), albumin level ( P  = 0.030) and LDH level ( P  < 0.001) showed prognostic significance. Further, multivariate analysis showed that performance status ( P  = 0.007), albumin level ( P  = 0.002), LDH level ( P  < 0.001) and administration of TRT ( P  = 0.001) were independent prognostic factors for survival. In conclusion, performance status, TRT, LDH level and albumin level were identified as important prognostic factors, while 18F‐ FDG PET / CT uptake of the primary lesions did not have any prognostic significance for survival in patients with SCLC .