Relationship between Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Fluorodeoxyglucose Uptake at Positron Emission Tomography and Surgical Stage with Relevance to Patient Prognosis

Abstract

We found an association between tumor stage and (18)F-FDG maxSUV, but this relationship disappeared after correction of tumor uptake for lesion size. Therefore, if partial-volume-corrected (18)F-FDG uptake is prognostic of NSCLC outcome, it is not on the basis of a relationship with tumor stage but through a different mechanism.