Chemotherapy Efficacy Assessment by ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT in III–IV Stages of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Purpose: Optimization of treatment efficacy assessment in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients by RECIST 1.1 and PERCIST 1.0 criteria.

Material and methods: 33 patients were included in prospective study. PET/CT was performed before treatment, after first cycle of chemotherapy and at the end of treatment.

Results: The progression of disease by metabolic and anatomic criteria was confirmed in 3 patients (9.1 %). In group with stable disease by RECIST 1.1 criteria (42.4 %) three types of metabolic response were performed: metabolic progression (9.1 %), stable metabolic disease (6.1 %), partial metabolic response (27.2 %). Group of patients with partial response by RECIST 1.1 criteria (48.5 %) was performed in two types of metabolic response: partial metabolic response (42.4 %) and complete metabolic response (6.1 %). Almost in all cases with partial response and disease progression (78.9 %) anatomic results after the 4 cycles of chemotherapy corresponded to the first assessment (after the first cycle) by PERCIST 1.0 criteria.

Conclusion: Assessment of metabolic response offers early efficacy prognosis.

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