Prognostic Value of Tumor Heterogeneity on 18F-FDG PET/CT in HR+HER2- Metastatic Breast Cancer Patients receiving 500 mg Fulvestrant: a retrospective study

Sci Rep. 2018 Sep 27;8(1):14458. doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-32745-z.

Abstract

Heterogeneity has been demonstrated to be a predictor of treatment failure and drug resistance. Our study aimed to investigate imaging parameters, including tumor heterogeneity, as prognostic factors of response to 500 mg fulvestrant using 18F-FDG PET/CT. Twenty-seven estrogen receptor (HR)-positive/HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer patients who received 500 mg fulvestrant and underwent 18F-FDG PET/CT before treatment were retrospectively included. In PET/CT scans, conventional parameters (maximum and mean standardized uptake value, metabolic tumor volume [MTV], total lesion glycolysis [TLG]) and heterogeneity parameters (intra-tumor heterogeneity index [HI] and inter-tumor heterogeneity coefficient of variation [COV]) were analyzed. Progression-free survival (PFS) was mainly assessed for efficacy. The survival analyses were performed using the Kaplan-Meier method. Univariate and multivariate analysis were performed using the Cox proportional hazard model. Univariate analysis indicated that a high SUVmax and a high tumor HI at baseline were associated with longer PFS of fulvestrant (P = 0.036 and P = 0.033, respectively). Liver metastasis, SUVmax and HI were statistically significant in multivariate analysis (P values of 0.017, 0.025 and 0.043, respectively). 18F-FDG based intra-tumor heterogeneity appears to be a potential predicator of efficacy of fulvestrant among HR+HER2- metastatic breast cancer patients.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Breast Neoplasms / diagnosis
  • Breast Neoplasms / drug therapy
  • Breast Neoplasms / metabolism
  • Breast Neoplasms / mortality
  • Disease-Free Survival
  • Female
  • Fluorodeoxyglucose F18
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Fulvestrant / administration & dosage*
  • Humans
  • Middle Aged
  • Neoplasm Metastasis
  • Positron-Emission Tomography*
  • Receptor, ErbB-2 / metabolism*
  • Receptors, Estrogen / metabolism*
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Survival Rate

Substances

  • Receptors, Estrogen
  • Fluorodeoxyglucose F18
  • Fulvestrant
  • ERBB2 protein, human
  • Receptor, ErbB-2