Correlation analysis between the SUVmax of FDG-PET/CT and clinicopathological characteristics in oral squamous cell carcinoma

Objectives: To investigate the relationship between maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) of 18F-FDG PET/CT and clinicopathological features of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), in order to formulate a better clinical guideline. Methods: In 104 patients with OSCC confirmed by pathology, there were 67 males and 37 females (age, 33–76 years; mean age, 56 years).18FDG, 18-fludeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) PET/CT manifestations and the clinicopathological features of the 104 patients were retrospectively analysed. Single-factor analysis and multiple regression analysis were conducted on possible factors influencing primary tumour SUVmax, including gender, age, smoking history, tumour location, tumour size, histological differentiation, TNM stage, T stage, N stage. Diagnostic performance of SUVmax for invading peri-tissue of OSCC was measured by the area under receiver operating characteristic curve, and sensitivity and specificity were determined at the Youdons index. Results: The single-analysis results showed that SUVmax was correlated with the histological differentiation, tumour size, TNM stage, T stage, N stage(p < 0.05), yet it was not correlated with gender, age, smoking history, tumour location (p > 0.05). Multivariate liner regression analysis showed that tumour size, TNM stage were influencing factors independent of primary tumour SUVmax (p < 0.05). Primary tumour SUVmax had predictive value for invading peri-tissue of OSCC. When the cutoff value was 7.98, the diagnostic efficiency was the highest, with the sensitivity being 90.0％ and the specificity being 76.2%. Conclusions: OSCC 18F-FDG PET/CT SUVmax is higher among patients with larger tumour size, poorer stage, and that primary tumour SUVmax is of important significance in predicting invading peri-tissue.