Abstract
Background/Aim: In non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), new therapies that target specific oncogenic pathomechanisms like the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) were developed. Positron emission tomography (PET) using fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) is routinely implemented in the diagnosis and staging of NSCLC. In this study, we analysed the correlation between molecular markers like EGFR and the glucose metabolism of NSCLC.
Methods: 80 patients with NSCLC were examined with FDG-PET/CT using standard scanning protocols; routinely the maximal standardized uptake value (SUVmax) of the tumour was determined. The demographic criteria of all patients were similar; all underwent surgical excision of the tumour. The tumour tissue was characterized histological and by molecular typing, including the EGFR status. The SUV was correlated with diverse parameters.
Results: The tumour histology showed in 36 patients a squamous cell carcinoma (45%), in 33 an adenocarcinoma (41%) and in 11 other tumour entities (14%), the average SUVmax were 12.1±4.8 (±SD), 9.0±4.4 and 11.9±4.8, respectively. In only 5 patients an activating EGFR-mutation was found, all others showed the EGFR wild-type. All but one mutation were found in patients with adenocarcinoma (12.1% of that histology); these tomours showed a very low SUVmax of 4.1±0.9. In contrast, the one EGFR-mutated squamous cell carcinoma showed a very high SUV of 20.3.
Conclusion: In our patient cohort with NSCLC, all patients with adenocarcinoma and EGFR mutation showed a low glucose metabolism. This finding may suggest that these tumours have down regulated metabolism and may be anticipated by lower SUV in FDG PET scans.
This study was supported by the Oskar-Helene-Heim foundation.
- © 2011 ERS