18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography after definitive chemoradiotherapy in patients with oesophageal carcinoma

Background: The purpose of the study was to investigate the value of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography performed after definitive chemoradiotherapy in patients with locally advanced oesophageal carcinoma. Methods: Forty consecutive patients underwent 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography at baseline and after chemoradiotherapy completion. Assessment of the clinical complete response to chemoradiotherapy included oesophagoscopy plus biopsies and computed tomography scan. Cox regression analysis was used to develop the univariate and multivariate models describing the association of the independent variables with survival and local control. Results: A clinical complete response and 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography response were present in 29 patients (72.5%) and 13 patients (32.5%), respectively. A combined response was observed in 11 patients (27.5%). During follow-up, a local failure was detected in 27.2% of patients with 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography response versus 33.3% in non-responders (p = .9). In multivariate analysis, clinical complete response (HR 5.77, p = .009) and 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography response (HR 6.27, p = .031) were identified as independent prognostic factors of overall survival. Conclusion: In patients treated for an esophageal cancer, the present study suggested that 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography after chemoradiotherapy completion was an independent prognostic factor of overall survival without significant impact on local recurrence prediction. (C) 2012 Editrice Gastroenterologica Italiana S.r.l. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.