[18F]FDG PET/CT Imaging and Hematological Parameters Can Help Predict HPV Status in Head and Neck Cancer

Paulina Cegla, Geoffrey Currie, Joanna P. Wroblewska, Joanna Kazmierska, Witold Cholewinski, Inga Jagiello, Krzysztof Matuszewski, Andrzej Marszalek, Anna Kubiak, Pawel Golusinski, Wojciech Golusinski, Ewa Majchrzak

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Objective To determine whether [18F]FDG PET/CT and hematological parameters provide supportive data to determine HPV status in HNSCC patients.


Methods Retrospective analysis of clinical and diagnostic data from 106 patients with HNSCC: 26.4% HPV-positive and 73.6% HPV-negative was performed. The following semiquantitative PET/CT parameters for the primary tumor and hottest lymph node and liver were evaluated: SUVmax, SUVmean, TotalSUV, MTV, TLG, maximum, mean and TLG tumor-to-liver ratio (TLRmax, TLRmean,TLRTLG) and heterogeneity index (HI). Following hematological variables were assessed: white blood cell (WBC); lymphocyte (LYMPH); neutrophil (NEU),monocyte (MON); platelet (PLT); neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NRL); lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR); platelet-to lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio (MLR). Conventional statistical analyses were performed in parallel with an artificial neural network analysis (Neural Analyzer, v. 2.9.5).


Results Significant between-group differences were observed for two of the semiquantitative PET/CT parameters, with higher values in the HPV-negative group: primary tumor MTV (22.2 vs 9.65; p=0.023), and TLRmax (3.50 vs 2.46; p=0.05). The HPV-negative group also had a significantly higher NEU count (4.84 vs. 6.04; p=0.04), NEU% (58.2 vs. 66.2; p=0.007), and NRL% (2.69 vs. 3.94; p=0.038). Based on ROC analysis (sensitivity 50%, specificity 80%, AUC 0.5), the following variables were independent predictors of HPV-negativity: primary tumor with SUVmax >10; TotalSUV >2800; MTV >23.5; TLG >180; TLRmax >3.7; TLRTLG >5.7; and oropharyngeal localization.


Conclusion Several semiquantitative parameters derived from [18F]FDG PET/CT imaging of the primary tumor (SUVmax, TotalSUV, MTV, TLG, TLRmax and TLRTLG) were independent predictors of HPV-negativity.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)22-31
JournalNuklearmedizin - NuclearMedicine
Volume64
Issue number1
Early online date2024
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2025

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