Abstract
Metabolic parameters such as maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax), metabolic tumor volume (MTV), and total lesion glycolysis (TLG) are recognized as prognostic indicators for survival for various cancer types. Their role in predicting outcomes for pancreatic cancer remains underexplored. This study was conducted to examine the predictive value of SUVmax, TLG, and MTV on overall survival (OS) in 60 pancreatic cancer patients diagnosed with pathological TNM stages I and II, utilizing 18F-FDG PET images obtained pre-treatment. In this study, the analysis revealed that TLG exhibited superior sensitivity in predicting OS compared to MTV, like to SUVmax. In univariate and multivariate analyses, TLG emerged as an exclusive independent prognostic marker for OS (hazard ratio [HR] 2.04, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.61-175, P = 0.002; HR 4.04, 95% CI 1.05-6.61, P = 0.04, respectively). These findings suggest TLG's role as an independent prognostic indicator for OS and highlight its superior predictive capability compared to MTV in patients with locally advanced pancreatic cancer (LAPC) pre-treatment.