The significant value of predicting prognosis in patients with colorectal cancer using 18F-FDG PET metabolic parameters of primary tumors and hematological parameters

ObjectsThe purpose was to evaluate the correlation of the pre-treatment hematological parameters with metabolic parameters of primary tumor in baseline F-18-FDG PET/CT in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) and estimate the prognostic value of both.MethodsWe retrospectively investigated 231 patients with CRC who underwent baseline F-18-FDG PET/CT. Routine blood sampling was tested in the same term. PET parameters in term of hematological parameters and pathological characteristics of primary tumor were compared. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was performed in the patients without distant metastasis. The differences of disease-free survival between groups were compared by log-rank tests.ResultsNeutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR) were significantly correlated with all the metabolic parameters including maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax), metabolic tumor volume (MTV) and tumor lesion glycolysis (TLG). The patients with NLR>3 had higher MTV (24.8218.16 vs 19.06 +/- 13.30, P=0.039) and TLG (219.04 +/- 186.94 vs 166.45 +/- 146.39, P=0.047) than those whose NLR3. NLR in those patients with distant metastasis was significantly higher than those without distant metastasis (P=0.018) while LMR in those patients with distant metastasis was significantly lower than those without distant metastasis (P=0.032). Survival analysis showed that those patients with low MTV (P=0.015), low NLR (P=0.008) and high LMR (P=0.027) revealed significant survival benefit.Conclusions p id=Par4 There was a significant association between the pre-treatment hematological parameters and metabolic parameters of baseline F-18-FDG PET/CT in the patients with CRC. It might be helpful in those patients with high NLR and low LMR to undergo F-18-FDG PET/CT to detect distant metastasis and predict prognosis.