PET/CT as a Prognostic Factor for Small Cell Lung Cancer

Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is known to be an aggressive cancer with poor prognosis. Prognostic factors are essential for the prediction of treatment outcomes and survival. The present study aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography/computed tomography (18FFDG- PET/CT) in patients with SCLC.
In this retrospective study, the medical records of 41 patients with SCLC were reviewed; these patients underwent pretreatment FDG-PET/CT and presented to our institution from January 2012 to December 2017. PET/CT parameters, clinical factors, treatment, and follow-up data were collected and correlated to the overall survival (OS).
The median age of the patients was 61 years, only five of whom (12.2%) were female. Additionally, 29 patients (70.7%) were smokers, 9 (22%) were ex-smokers, and 3 (7.3%) were non-smokers. Among our subjects, 13 (31.7%) had limited stage disease, while 28 (68.3%) presented with extensive stage disease. The median pretreatment maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) for the primary tumor was 14.54. The median OS was 18.1 months. Based on univariate analysis, SUVmax, stage, age, and sex were significantly associated with OS. However, smoking status, tumor side, and lobe location had no significant impact on OS. Furthermore, according to multivariate analysis, SUVmax, stage, and age were independent prognostic factors for OS.
SUVmax, age, and tumor stage were found to be significant prognostic factors for OS in patients with SCLC.