Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography and the Prognosis of Pancreatic Carcinoma

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Abstract
Pancreatic carcinoma is associated with a poor prognosis. The aim of this study was to determine whether glucose metabolism in pancreatic cancer has prognostic significance for patients suffering from this disease. The survival data of 52 patients with pancreatic carcinoma was correlated with the standardized uptake value (SUV) as a semiquantitative parameter of glucose metabolism, as determined with fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG PET). A multivariate analysis, including SUV and accepted factors of prognosis, such as stage at presentation and tumor marker Ca 19-9, was performed to determine the prognostic value of FDG PET. The median survival in 26 patients with low SUV (< 6.1) was 9 months (95% confidence interval 6-12 months) vs. 5 months (95% confidence interval 4-6 months) in 26 patients with high SUV (> or = 6.1). Multivariate analysis revealed SUV and tumor marker Ca 19-9 as independent factors of prognosis in patients with pancreatic carcinoma. Glucose metabolism, as determined with FDG PET, provides additional prognostic information in patients with pancreatic carcinoma.