F-18-FDG uptake in breast cancer correlates with immunohistochemically defined subtypes

Abstract

ObjectivesTo determine whether a correlation exists between maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) on 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) and the subtypes of breast cancer.MethodsThis retrospective study involved 548 patients (mean age 51.6 years, range 21?81 years) with 552 index breast cancers (mean size 2.57 cm, range 1.0?14.5 cm). The correlation between 18F-FDG uptake in PET/CT, expressed as SUVmax, and immunohistochemically defined subtypes (luminal A, luminal B, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) positive and triple negative) was analyzed.ResultsThe mean SUVmax value of the 552 tumours was 6.07?±?4.63 (range 0.9?32.8). The subtypes of the 552 tumours were 334 (60 %) luminal A, 66 (12 %) luminal B, 60 (11 %) HER2 positive and 92 (17 %) triple negative, for which the mean SUVmax values were 4.69?±?3.45, 6.51?±?4.18, 7.44?±?4.73 and 9.83?±?6.03, respectively. In a multivariate regression analysis, triple-negative and HER2-positive tumours had 1.67-fold (P?<?0.001) and 1.27-fold (P?=?0.009) higher SUVmax values, respectively, than luminal A tumours after adjustment for invasive tumour size, lymph node involvement status and histologic grade.ConclusionFDG uptake was independently associated with subtypes of invasive breast cancer. Triple-negative and HER2-positive breast cancers showed higher SUVmax values than luminal A tumours.