Abstract:

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between 18Fluorine-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (18F-FDG PET/CT) parameters and hematological parameters in squamous cell lung cancer without distant metastasis and to investigate the prognostic value of these parameters. Patients and Methods: This study included 155 patients who underwent 18F-FDG PET/CT imaging for squamous cell lung cancer. Metabolic and hematological parameters were analyzed. Metabolic parameters included maximum and mean standardized uptake values (SUVmax and SUVmean), metabolic tumor volume (MTV), total lesional glycolysis (TLG), and maximum tumor-to-blood SUV ratio (SURmax). Hematological parameters included neutrophil, lymphocyte, platelet, neutrophil/lymphocyte count ratio (NLR), and platelet/lymphocyte count ratio (PLR) Results: Overall survival was significantly shorter in patients with TLG > 194, NLR > 3.3, and PLR > 157.2 (p < 0.001, p = 0.001, and p = 0.001, respectively). There was a poor correlation between TLG and NLR (p < 0.001, r = 0.302), TLG and PLR (p < 0.001, r = 0.304). TLG (> 194; hazard ratio 1.704, 95% CI 1.056–2.751, p = 0.027) and Tumor-Node-Metastasis (TNM)-based staging (stage II; hazard ratio 1.965, 95% CI 0.739–5.227, p = 0.019) were independent prognostic factors for overall survival. Conclusion: While PET/CT metabolic parameters had both predictive and independent prognostic values in squamous cell lung cancers, PLR and NLR had only predictive values. It shows that PET/CT metabolic parameters related to the course of the disease are more valuable than hematological parameters in squamous cell lung cancer.

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