Prognostic values of ADC(mean) and SUVmax of the primary tumour in cervical cancer patients treated with definitive chemoradiotherapy

Abstract

We analysed the correlation of F-18-fluorodeoxyglucose uptake into primary tumours using the maximum standardised uptake value (SUVmax) and the mean apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC(mean)) values in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with the clinical and pathological factors in patients with cervical cancer who were treated with concurrent chemoradiotherapy. The patients were stratified according to the primary tumour pre-treatment ADC(mean) and SUVmax cut-off values. There were significant correlations between the SUVmax of the primary tumour and tumour size, and the treatment response. The correlation between the ADC(mean) and FIGO stage, tumour size, and the lymph node metastasis was significant. The SUVmax was significantly and inversely correlated with the ADC(mean) for cervical cancer (r = -0.44, p <.001). In the multivariate analysis, the primary tumour ADC(mean), treatment response and the lymph node metastasis emerged as significant independent predictors of both OS and DFS, and of the primary tumour SUVmax for DFS. Tumour size has a borderline significance for OS. High SUVmax and low ADC(mean) of the primary tumour are important predictive factors for identifying high-risk patients with cervical cancer who are treated with definitive chemoradiotherapy. These results point to a future role for the diffusion-weighted MRI and for F-18-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography, not only in the staging of cervical cancer but as an aid in the selection of an adjuvant treatment regimen after chemoradiotherapy for individual patients.