Preoperative PET/CT FDG standardized uptake value of pelvic lymph nodes as a significant prognostic factor in patients with uterine cervical cancer.

PURPOSE: Using integrated PET/CT, we evaluated the prognostic relevance in uterine cervical cancer of preoperative pelvic lymph node (LN) [(18)F]FDG uptake.

METHODS: Patients with FIGO stage IB to IIA uterine cervical cancer were imaged with FDG PET/CT before radical surgery. We used Cox proportional hazards regression to examine the relationship between recurrence and the FDG maximum standardized uptake value (SUV(max)) in the pelvic LN (SUVLN) on PET/CT.

RESULTS: Clinical data, treatment modalities, and results in 130 eligible patients were reviewed. The median postsurgical follow-up was 34 months (range 6 to 109 months). Receiver operating characteristic analysis identified SUVLN 2.36 as the most significant cut-off value for predicting recurrence. SUV(LN) was correlated with SUV(tumour) (P = 0.002), primary tumour size (P = 0.004), and parametrial invasion (P = 0.013). Univariate analyses showed significant associations between recurrence and SUV(LN) (P = 0.001), SUV(tumour) (P = 0.007), pelvic LN metastasis (P = 0.002), parametrial invasion (P < 0.001), primary tumour size (P = 0.007), suspected LN metastasis on MRI (P = 0.024), and FIGO stage (P = 0.026). Multivariate analysis identified SUV(LN) (P = 0.013, hazard ratio, HR, 4.447, 95 % confidence interval, CI, 1.379 – 14.343) and parametrial invasion (P = 0.013, HR 6.728, 95 % CI 1.497 – 30.235) as independent risk factors for recurrence. Patients with SUV(LN) ≥ 2.36 and SUV(LN) <2.36 differed significantly in terms of recurrence (HR 15.20, P < 0.001).

CONCLUSION: Preoperative pelvic LN FDG uptake showed a strong significant association with uterine cervical cancer recurrence.