Prognostic value of 18F-FDG PET/CT metabolic tumor volume for complete pathologic response and clinical outcomes after neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy for locally advanced esophageal cancer.

150 Background: The prognostic value of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) has not yet been defined in locally advanced esophageal cancer (LAEC). This study aims to elucidate the prognostic role of PET/CT for patients treated with neoadjuvant chemoradiation (CRT) followed by esophagectomy. Methods: We retrospectively evaluated patients with LAEC treated from 2006 to 2014 with neoadjuvant CRT followed by esophagectomy. 86 patients had pre-CRT and post CRT PET/CT scans performed at our institution. These scans were imported into an image analysis program. PET parameters maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax), metabolic tumor volume (MTV), mean standardized uptake value (SUVmean), and peak standardized uptake value (SUVpeak) were recorded for both pre-CRT and post-CRT scans. MTV was defined using a previously described liver method. The correlation of these parameters with pathologic complete response (pCR) and clinical outcomes was analyzed using binomial lo...