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Positron Emission Tomography in Thymic Tumors: Analysis Using a Prospective Research Database.
Robert J Korst1, Sumudinie Fernando2, Ann Christine Catlin2
1Department of Thoracic Surgery, Mount Sinai Health System, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York; Valley/Mount Sinai Comprehensive Cancer Care, Paramus, New Jersey.
The Annals of Thoracic Surgery
|October 17, 2017
Summary
Positron emission tomography maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) can predict the histologic type and stage of thymic malignancies. This imaging technique aids in the pretreatment workup of patients with these rare tumors.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Radiology
- Nuclear Medicine
Background:
- Thymic malignancies are rare tumors.
- Positron emission tomography (PET) may aid in pretreatment evaluation.
- The maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) is a quantitative measure from PET scans.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the utility of SUVmax in predicting histologic type and tumor stage in thymic epithelial tumors.
- To assess the role of PET in the pretreatment workup of thymic malignancies.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of a large, multiinstitutional, prospective database (The International Thymic Malignancy Interest Group - ITMIG).
- Querying data for demographics, SUVmax, histologic type, and Masaoka-Koga stage.
- Utilizing receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis to evaluate SUVmax predictive ability.
Main Results:
- Data from 926 patients with thymic malignancies were analyzed, with 154 having reported SUVmax values.
- SUVmax demonstrated significant predictive ability for both histologic type (Area Under Curve [AUC] = 0.79) and pathologic stage (AUC = 0.81).
- A significant relationship was found between SUVmax and both histologic type and Masaoka-Koga stage (p < 0.001 for both).
Conclusions:
- PET, quantified by SUVmax, is useful in predicting clinicopathologic features of thymic malignancies.
- These findings support the clinical application of PET in the pretreatment assessment of patients with thymic tumors.
- SUVmax can help differentiate tumor types and stages, guiding treatment decisions.