Chemotherapy response evaluation with FDG-PET in patients with colorectal cancer

The aim of this prospective study was to evaluate the value of F-18-fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) for early assessment of chemotherapy response in patients with advanced colorectal cancer.

Dynamic FDG-PET was carried out before and at 2 (n = 50) and 6 months (n = 19) after the start of treatment. Quantitative Patlak analysis [metabolic rate of glucose (MRGlu)] and a simplified method to measure glucose metabolism [standardized uptake value (SUV)] were evaluated. The predictive value of changes in glucose metabolism was assessed with Cox proportional regression analysis. Overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were calculated using Kaplan-Meier estimates.

There was an increase in the rates of death (P = 0.049 for DeltaMRGlu PET1-2; P = 0.017 for DeltaSUV PET1-2; P = 0.032 for DeltaMRGlu PET1-3; P = 0.048 for DeltaSUV PET1-3) and progression (P = 0.026 for DeltaMRGlu PET1-2; P = 0.035 for DeltaSUV PET1-2; P = 0.041 for DeltaMRGlu PET1-3; P = 0.081 for DeltaSUV PET1-3) associated with worse response as assessed by PET on Cox proportional regression analysis. The OS and PFS analysis showed a significant predictive value at broad ranges of DeltaMRGlu and DeltaSUV cut-off levels.

The degree of chemotherapy-induced changes in tumor glucose metabolism is highly predictive for patient outcome. The use of FDG-PET for therapy monitoring seems clinically feasible since simplified methods (SUV) are sufficiently reliable.