Background: F-18- fluorodeoxyglucose Positron emission tomography (18FDG-PET) has been widely used in clinical practice. However, the prognostic value of the pretreatment standardized uptake value (SUV) for patients with gastric cancer remains controversial.
Methods: Major databases were systematically searched. The quality of the included studies was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa scale; the PET protocols were also evaluated. The pooled hazard ratio (HR) for overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) were used to estimate the effect size. Data from the included studies were analyzed using Review Manager Software version 5.2.
Results: Eight studies with 1080 patients were included. The pooled HR for OS of six studies including 672 patients was 1.72 (95% CI [1.28-2.3], p = 0.0004, I2 = 0%), indicating that patients with high SUVs may have poor prognosis. The pooled HR for RFS was 1.70 (95% CI [1.20-2.39], p = 0.003, I2 = 0%). Subgroup analysis based on the cutoff values determining method indicated that the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) method could better define the cutoff value. Subgroup analysis based on the therapeutic strategies used subsequently indicated the significant prognostic value of SUV.
Conclusion: In conclusion, our meta-analysis indicated that pretreatment SUV in primary lesions can be an important prognostic factor for overall survival and recurrence-free survival in patients with gastric cancer. High SUVs may indicate poor prognosis.
Keywords: Gastric cancer; Meta-analysis; Positron emission tomography; Prognosis; Standardized uptake value.