Prognostic Value of Bone Marrow Uptake Using 18F-FDG PET/CT Scans in Solid Neoplasms

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Nuclear Medicine
• Radiomics

Background:

• 18F-FDG PET/CT uptake increases in inflammatory conditions, potentially reflecting systemic inflammation in cancer.
• Bone marrow uptake may indicate systemic cancer burden and influence oncologic prognosis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the prognostic role of bone marrow 18F-FDG uptake in solid neoplasms before treatment.
• To assess the correlation of bone marrow uptake with staging, response, and survival in esophageal cancer.

Main Methods:

• A single-institute cohort analysis of 113 esophageal cancer patients.
• A systematic review of 18 studies on various solid neoplasms (gynecological, lung, breast, etc.).

Main Results:

• Esophageal cancer: Bone marrow uptake did not correlate with staging, response, or survival.
• Other cancers: High uptake linked to advanced staging in colorectal, head and neck, and breast cancer.
• Survival association: Significant for lung, head and neck, breast, gastric, colorectal, pancreatic, and gynecological cancers; not significant for neuroblastoma and esophageal cancer.

Conclusions:

• Bone marrow 18F-FDG uptake in PET/CT has prognostic value in several solid tumors.
• Further research is needed to fully define the role of bone marrow uptake in cancer prognostication.