Body Mass Index with Tumor 18F-FDG Uptake Improves Risk Stratification in Patients with Breast Cancer

To investigate the combined prognostic impact of body mass index (BMI) and tumor standardized uptake value (SUV) measured on pretreatment 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (FDG PET/CT) in patients with breast cancer.

We evaluated a cohort of 332 patients with newly diagnosed breast cancer (stage I-III) who underwent pretreatment FDG PET/CT followed by curative resection. Patients were categorized as overweight (BMI ≥ 23 kg/m2) or normal weight (BMI < 23 kg/m2). Primary tumor maximum SUV was measured by FDG PET/CT. Associations between BMI and tumor SUV with disease recurrence were assessed using Cox regression models.

Median follow-up was 39 months. There were 76 recurrences and 15 cancer-related deaths. Multivariable Cox regression analysis demonstrated that high tumor SUV (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.75; 95% CI, 1.02-3.02; P = 0.044) and overweight (HR = 1.84; 95% CI, 1.17-2.89; P = 0.008) were independent poor prognostic factors. Positive hormone receptor status was an independent predictor of favorable outcome (HR = 0.42; 95% CI, 0.26-0.68; P < 0.001). Overweight patients with high tumor SUV had a two-fold risk of recurrence compared to patients with normal weight or low tumor SUV after adjusting for clinical stage and tumor subtype (HR = 2.06; 95% CI, 1.30-3.27; P = 0.002).

In patients with breast cancer, higher tumor SUV was associated with a more adverse outcome particularly in overweight women. BMI status combined with tumor SUV data allows better risk-stratification of breast cancer, independent of clinical stage and tumor subtype.