Criteria for the diagnosis of extranodal extension detected on radiological imaging in head and neck cancer: Head and Neck Cancer International Group consensus recommendations.

Extranodal extension of tumour on histopathology is known to be a negative prognostic factor in head and neck cancer. Compelling evidence suggests that extranodal extension detected on radiological imaging is also a negative prognostic factor. Furthermore, if imaging detected extranodal extension could be identified reliably before the start of treatment, it could be used to guide treatment selection, as patients might be better managed with non-surgical approaches to avoid the toxicity and cost of trimodality therapy (surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy together). There are many aspects of imaging detected extranodal extension that remain unresolved or are without consensus, such as the criteria to best diagnose them and the associated terminology. The Head and Neck Cancer International Group conducted a five-round modified Delphi process with a group of 18 international radiology experts, representing 14 national clinical research groups. We generated consensus recommendations on the terminology and diagnostic criteria for imaging detected extranodal extension to harmonise clinical practice and research. These recommendations have been endorsed by 19 national and international organisations, representing 34 countries. We propose a new classification system to aid diagnosis, which was supported by most of the participating experts over existing systems, and which will require validation in the future. Additionally, we have created an online educational resource for grading imaging detected extranodal extensions.

Role of 18F-Fluciclovine and Prostate-Specific Membrane Antigen PET/CT in Guiding Management of Oligometastatic Prostate Cancer: AJR Expert Panel Narrative Review.

Twenty-five years ago, oligometastatic disease was proposed as an intermediary clinical state of cancer with unique implications for therapies that may impact cancer evolution and patient outcome. Identification of limited metastases that are potentially amenable to targeted therapies fundamentally depends on the sensitivity of diagnostic tools, including new-generation imaging methods. For men with biochemical recurrence after definitive therapy of the primary prostate cancer, PET/CT using either the FDA-approved radiolabeled amino acid analogue 18F-fluciclovine or investigational radiolabeled agents targeting prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) enables identification of early metastases at lower serum PSA levels than was previously feasible using conventional imaging. Evidence supports PSMA PET/CT as the most sensitive imaging modality available for identifying disease sites in oligometastatic prostate cancer. PSMA PET/CT will likely become the modality of choice after regulatory approval and will drive the development of trials of emerging metastasis-directed therapies such as stereotactic ablative body radiation and radioguided surgery. Indeed, numerous ongoing or planned clinical trials are studying advances in management of oligometastatic prostate cancer based on this heightened diagnostic capacity. In this rapidly evolving clinical environment, radiologists and nuclear medicine physicians will play major roles in facilitating clinical decision making and management of patients with oligometastatic prostate cancer.

Fluorine-18-Labeled Fluciclovine PET/CT in Primary and Biochemical Recurrent Prostate Cancer Management.

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this article is to review the utility of 18F-fluciclovine PET/CT in the evaluation of recurrent prostate cancer. CONCLUSION. Fluorine-18-labeled fluciclovine PET/CT has shown promise in the evaluation of recurrent prostate cancer. Its performance has been superior to that of other imaging modalities. It has had good diagnostic accuracy, especially in the detection of extra-prostatic disease recurrence, and the findings have an impact on treatment planning. Gallium-68-labeled prostate-specific membrane antigen PET/CT has also had excellent performance in the detection of biochemically recurrent prostate cancer with detection rates superior to those of fluciclovine PET/CT.

Value of Intratumoral Metabolic Heterogeneity and Quantitative 18F-FDG PET/CT Parameters in Predicting Prognosis for Patients With Cervical Cancer.

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the prognostic value of quantitative metabolic parameters from pretreatment PET/CT scans of patients with squamous cell cervical cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS. This retrospective study included 120 patients with biopsy-proven squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix who underwent FDG PET/CT for initial tumor staging. The primary tumor maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) and mean standardized uptake value (SUVmean), tumor glycolytic activity, metabolic tumor volume (MTV), and metabolic intratumoral heterogeneity index (calculated as the AUC for the cumulative standardized uptake value [SUV]-volume histogram [CSH] index) were obtained. Information on patient demographic characteristics and tumor staging were collected. Median follow-up was 27.5 months. Overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were calculated using a multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression model and log-rank (Mantel-Cox) test to generate Kaplan-Meier survival plots. RESULTS. The mean (± SD) age of the patients was 54.4 ± 13.1 years. Twenty-two patients had stage I disease; 58, stage II; 23, stage III; and 17, stage IV. Thirty-three patients died, 82 were living, and five were lost to follow-up and were censored; 29 patients had disease progression. The median survival was 74.9 months (95% CI, 63.6-86.9 months). A higher MTV was significantly associated with reduced OS in multivariate analysis (hazard ratio, 1.085; 95% CI, 1.036-1.136; p = 0.0005). A higher AUC-CSH index (denoting lower tumor heterogeneity) was significantly associated with increased OS (hazard ratio, 0.662; 95% CI, 0.448-0.979; p = 0.04) and PFS (hazard ratio, 0.683; 95% CI, 0.471-0.991; p = 0.045) in multivariate analysis. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis using the median value for MTV (61 mL) significantly predicted OS (p = 0.0009). CONCLUSION. Tumor heterogeneity on pretreatment PET/CT is associated with OS and PFS in patients with cervical cancer. MTV is significantly associated with OS.

Impact of Point-Spread Function Reconstruction on 68Ga-DOTATATE PET/CT Quantitative Imaging Parameters.

OBJECTIVE. The objective of our study was to investigate the impact of point-spread function (PSF) reconstruction and lesion size on 68Ga-tetraazacyclododecanetetraacetic acid-DPhe1-Tyr3-octreotate (DOTATATE) PET/CT quantitative parameters. MATERIALS AND METHODS. A total of 38 patients with 42 68Ga-DOTATATE PET/CT studies and 125 lesions were included. Scans were reconstructed with and without PSF modulation. For each lesion, the maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) and peak standardized uptake value (SUVpeak), metabolic tumor volume (MTV), total lesion somatostatin avidity, and tumor somatostatin receptor expression heterogeneity using the AUC method were measured. Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and Bland-Altman analyses were used to compare PSF and non-PSF values. A subgroup analysis was performed to determine the impact of lesion size. RESULTS. Of the 125 lesions, 51 were in the liver, 31 in lymph nodes, 17 in bone, eight in pancreas, four in lung, and 14 in other sites. The ICCs between PSF and non-PSF values were excellent for SUVmax, SUVpeak, MTV, and total lesion somatostatin avidity (ICC = 0.97-0.99), and the ICC was good for tumor somatostatin receptor expression heterogeneity (ICC = 0.81). Comparison of PSF with non-PSF values showed a bias (mean percentage change ± SD) of 27.5% ± 14.7% for SUVmax, 15.5% ± 9.5% for SUVpeak, -18.6% ± 37.6% for MTV, 0.8% ± 28.1% for total lesion somatostatin avidity, and -7.1% ± 11.0% for tumor somatostatin receptor expression heterogeneity. Comparison of PSF with non-PSF values for lesions less than 2 cm (n = 75) showed corresponding biases greater than those for lesions 2 cm or larger (n = 50). CONCLUSION. PSF reconstruction effected higher values for SUVmax and SUVpeak, produced decreased values for tumor somatostatin receptor expression heterogeneity, and had a variable effect on MTV and total lesion somatostatin avidity depending on lesion size.

Lung Cancer Recurrence: 18F-FDG PET/CT in Clinical Practice.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this article is to summarize the clinical utility of 18F-FDG PET/CT in the evaluation of lung cancer recurrence with an emphasis on typical anatomic and metabolic patterns of recurrence, expected posttherapeutic changes, and common pitfalls of FDG PET/CT. FDG PET/CT is useful in assessing therapeutic response and in determining the extent of recurrent disease and provides a guide for targeted biopsy. CONCLUSION: FDG PET/CT plays a crucial role in the evaluation of therapeutic response in lung cancer and guides management.

Timing and Impact of Posttreatment PET/CT After First 6 Months on Patient Management and Outcomes in Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE. The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of PET/CT on patient management and outcomes of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) after the first 6 months following treatment. MATERIALS AND METHODS. We retrospectively identified patients with OPSCC who underwent chemoradiation therapy and had at least 2 years of posttreatment follow-up. Patients were grouped on the basis of whether they underwent PET/CT, as a result of clinical suspicion of recurrence or routine follow-up, in the last 18 months of the 2-year posttreatment period (experimental group) or not (control group). Association between PET/CT use and change in management was tested using chi-square analysis. Survival analyses were performed with Cox and Kaplan-Meier analyses. RESULTS. In total, 149 patients underwent 294 PET/CT studies in the 2-year follow-up period. Eighty-three patients (55.7%) underwent PET/CT in the last 18 months of the 2 years. This group underwent 223 PET/CT studies, 22 (9.9%) of which were positive. Sixteen of the 22 (72.7%) changed management. Sixty-six patients (44.3%) did not undergo PET/CT in the last 18 months. This group underwent 71 PET/CT studies, six (8.5%) of which were positive. Two of the six studies (33.3%) changed management. Of first-time positive PET/CT studies in the last 18 months, five of nine (55.6%) were performed 6-12 months after treatment. PET/CT in the last 18 months was positively associated with change in management (odds ratio, 4.88; p = 0.02). Patients with positive PET/CT findings had worse overall survival (hazard ratio [HR], 31.6; p < 0.0001) and progression-free survival (HR, 40.8; p < 0.0001). CONCLUSION. PET/CT in the last 18 months of the 2-year posttreatment period impacted patient management. Most first-time positive PET/CT studies in the last 18 months of the 2 years were performed 6-12 months after treatment.

Therapy With 177Lu-DOTATATE: Clinical Implementation and Impact on Care of Patients With Neuroendocrine Tumors.

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this article is to enhance knowledge of the clinical implementation of peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT) and its impact on care of patients with neuroendocrine tumors. CONCLUSION. Most well differentiated and some moderately and poorly differentiated neuroendocrine tumors express large numbers of somatostatin receptors on their cell surfaces. PRRT targets these cells with 177Lu-DOTATATE, which is a medium-energy beta emitter. Since this agent received U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval in 2018, tremendous effort has been exerted at institutions throughout the United States toward proper implementation of this promising therapy. This review summarizes clinical implementation of PRRT and its impact on patient care.

Neuroendocrine Tumor Diagnosis and Management: 68Ga-DOTATATE PET/CT.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this article is to provide a review of the use of 68Ga tetraazacyclododecanetetraacetic acid-DPhe1-Tyr3-octreotate (DOTATATE) PET/CT, a functional imaging modality for assessment of well-differentiated neuroendocrine tumors (NETs). It has become the preferred imaging modality for initial diagnosis, selection of patients for peptide receptor radionuclide therapy, and localization of unknown primary tumors. The National Comprehensive Cancer Network guideline has added 68Ga-DOTATATE PET/CT as an appropriate test in the management of NETs. CONCLUSION: In combination with FDG PET/CT, 68Ga-DOTATATE PET/CT can noninvasively assess tumor heterogeneity, especially in G2 and G3 NETs, for personalized management of patients.

PET/CT of Dementia.

OBJECTIVE: In this article, we review the literature on PET/CT in the management of dementia, present evidence for best clinical practices, and discuss recent advances in the field. CONCLUSION: Standard-of-care imaging for dementia includes CT and MRI, primarily for excluding vascular lesions or masses, detecting atrophy, and monitoring disease severity. PET/CT is a powerful functional modality that can differentiate dementia types and influence management. Fluorine-18-FDG PET/CT reveals the spatial pattern of glucose metabolism in the brain. More recently, radiotracers for PET have been developed that bind to amyloid protein, tau protein, and neuroinflammatory markers.

Role of FDG PET/CT in the Eighth Edition of TNM Staging of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related mortality in the United States, and accurate staging plays a vital role in determining prognosis and treatment. The recently revised eighth edition of the TNM staging system for lung cancer defines new T and M descriptors and updates stage groupings on the basis of substantial differences in survival. There are new T descriptors that are based on the findings at histopathologic examination, and T descriptors are reassigned on the basis of tumor size and extent. No changes were made to the N descriptors in the eighth edition of the TNM staging of lung cancer, because the four N categories that are based on the location of the diseased nodes can be used to consistently predict prognosis. The eighth edition includes a new M1b descriptor for patients with a single extrathoracic metastatic lesion in a single organ (M1b), because they have better survival and different treatment options, compared with those with multiple extrathoracic lesions (M1c). Examination with fluorine 18 fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET/CT is the standard of care and is an integral part of the clinical staging of patients with lung cancer. To provide the treating physicians with accurate staging information, radiologists and nuclear medicine physicians should be aware of the updated classification system and should be cognizant of the site-specific strengths and limitations of FDG PET/CT. In this article, the eighth edition of the TNM staging system is reviewed, as well as the role of FDG PET/CT in the staging of non-small cell lung carcinoma. ©RSNA, 2018.

Clinical Practice in PET/CT for the Management of Head and Neck Squamous Cell Cancer.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this article is to summarize the evidence for the value of PET/CT for the management of patients with head and neck squamous cell cancer and suggest best clinical practices. CONCLUSION: FDG PET/CT is a valuable imaging tool for identifying unknown primary tumors in patients with known cervical node metastases leading to management change and is the standard of care for the initial staging of stage III and IV head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCCs), for assessing therapy response when performed at least 12 weeks after chemoradiation therapy, and for avoiding unnecessary planned neck dissection. Neck dissection is avoided if PET/CT findings are negative-regardless of the size of the residual neck nodes-because survival outcomes are not compromised. FDG PET/CT is valuable in detecting recurrences and metastases during follow-up when suspected because of clinical symptoms and serves as a prognostic marker for patient survival outcomes, for 5 years. Using FDG PET/CT for routine surveillance of HNSCC after 6 months of treatment without any clinical suspicion should be discouraged.

The Value of FDG PET/CT in Treatment Response Assessment, Follow-Up, and Surveillance of Lung Cancer.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this article is to summarize the evidence regarding the role of FDG PET/CT in treatment response assessment and surveillance of lung cancer and to provide suggested best practices. CONCLUSION: FDG PET/CT is a valuable imaging tool for assessing treatment response for patients with lung cancer, though evidence for its comparative effectiveness with chest CT is still evolving. FDG PET/CT is most useful when there is clinical suspicion or other evidence for disease recurrence or metastases. The sequencing, cost analysis, and comparative effectiveness of FDG PET/CT and conventional imaging modalities in the follow-up setting need to be investigated.

Comparative Effect of Contrast Media Type on the Incidence of Contrast-Induced Nephropathy: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Iodine contrast media are essential components of many imaging procedures. An important potential side effect is contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN). PURPOSE: To compare CIN risk for contrast media within and between osmolality classes in patients receiving diagnostic or therapeutic imaging procedures. DATA SOURCES: PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Clinical Trials.gov, and Scopus through June 2015. STUDY SELECTION: Randomized, controlled trials that reported CIN-related outcomes in patients receiving low-osmolar contrast media (LOCM) or iso-osmolar contrast media for imaging. DATA EXTRACTION: Independent study selection and quality assessment by 2 reviewers and dual extraction of study characteristics and results. DATA SYNTHESIS: None of the 5 studies that compared types of LOCM reported a statistically significant or clinically important difference among study groups, but the strength of evidence was low. Twenty-five randomized, controlled trials found a slight reduction in CIN risk with the iso-osmolar contrast media agent iodixanol compared with a diverse group of LOCM that just reached statistical significance in a meta-analysis (pooled relative risk, 0.80 [95% CI, 0.65 to 0.99]; P = 0.045). This comparison's strength of evidence was moderate. In a meta regression of randomized, controlled trials of iodixanol, no relationship was found between route of administration and comparative CIN risk. LIMITATIONS: Few studies compared LOCM. Procedural details about contrast administration were not uniformly reported. Few studies specified clinical indications or severity of baseline renal impairment. CONCLUSION: No differences were found in CIN risk among types of LOCM. Iodixanol had a slightly lower risk for CIN than LOCM, but the lower risk did not exceed a criterion for clinical importance. PRIMARY FUNDING SOURCE: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

Effectiveness of Prevention Strategies for Contrast-Induced Nephropathy: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: N-acetylcysteine, sodium bicarbonate, statins, and ascorbic acid have been studied for reducing contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN). PURPOSE: To evaluate the comparative effectiveness of interventions to reduce CIN in adults receiving contrast media. DATA SOURCES: MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, ClinicalTrials.gov, and Scopus databases through June 2015. Risk of bias and overall strength of evidence (SOE) of studies were assessed. STUDY SELECTION: Randomized, controlled trials of N-acetylcysteine, sodium bicarbonate, statins, or ascorbic acid that used intravenous (IV) or intra-arterial contrast media and defined CIN with enough data for meta-analysis. DATA EXTRACTION: Two reviewers independently extracted data and assessed study quality. DATA SYNTHESIS: Low-dose N-acetylcysteine plus IV saline compared with IV saline (risk ratio [RR], 0.75 [95% CI, 0.63 to 0.89]; low SOE), N-acetylcysteine plus IV saline compared with IV saline in patients receiving low-osmolar contrast media (RR, 0.69 [CI, 0.58 to 0.84]; moderate SOE), and statins plus N-acetylcysteine plus IV saline versus N-acetylcysteine plus IV saline (RR, 0.52 [CI, 0.29 to 0.93]; low SOE) had clinically important and statistically significant benefits. The following 3 comparisons suggested a clinically important difference that was not statistically significant: sodium bicarbonate versus IV saline in patients receiving low-osmolar contrast media (RR, 0.65 [CI, 0.33 to 1.25]; low SOE), statins plus IV saline versus IV saline (RR, 0.68 [CI, 0.39 to 1.20]; low SOE), and ascorbic acid versus IV saline (RR, 0.72 [CI, 0.48 to 1.01]; low SOE). Strength of evidence was generally insufficient for comparisons of the need for renal replacement, cardiac events, and mortality. LIMITATION: Too few studies were done in patients receiving IV contrast media. CONCLUSION: The greatest reduction in CIN was seen with N-acetylcysteine plus IV saline in patients receiving LOCM and with statins plus N-acetylcysteine plus IV saline. PRIMARY FUNDING SOURCE: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

Impact on Patient Management of [18F]-Fluorodeoxyglucose-Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Used for Cancer Diagnosis: Analysis of Data From the National Oncologic PET Registry.

INTRODUCTION: We assessed the impact of [(18)F]-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)-positron emission tomography (PET) on intended management of patients in the National Oncologic PET Registry (NOPR) for three different diagnostic indications: (a) determining whether a suspicious lesion is cancer (Dx), (b) detecting an unknown primary tumor site when there is confirmed or strongly suspected metastatic disease (cancer of unknown primary origin [CUP]), and (c) detecting a primary tumor site when there is a presumed paraneoplastic syndrome (PNS). METHODS: We reviewed a sample of randomly selected reports of NOPR subjects who underwent PET for Dx and CUP and all reports for PNS to find subjects for analysis. For these studies, we evaluated the impact of PET on referring physicians' intended management, based on their management plans reported before and after PET. RESULTS: Intended management was changed more frequently in the CUP group (43.1%) than in the Dx (23.9%) and PNS (25.4%) groups (CUP vs. Dx, p < .0001; PNS vs. Dx, p < .0001; CUP vs. PNS, p < .0002). Referring physicians reported that, in light of PET results, they were able to avoid further testing in approximately three-fourths of patients (71.8%-74.6%). At the time when the post-PET forms were completed, biopsies of suspicious sites had been performed in 21.2%, 32.4%, and 23.2%, respectively, of Dx, CUP, and PNS cases. CONCLUSION: Our analysis of NOPR data shows that PET appears to have a substantial impact on intended management when used for three common diagnostic indications. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: [(18)F]-fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography appears to have a substantial impact on intended management when used for three targeted diagnostic indications: (a) determining whether a suspicious lesion is cancer, (b) detecting an unknown primary tumor site in a patient with confirmed or strongly suspected metastatic disease, and (c) detecting a primary tumor site in a patient with a presumed paraneoplastic syndrome.

FDG-PET/CT and MRI for Evaluation of Pathologic Response to Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy in Patients With Breast Cancer: A Meta-Analysis of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies.

INTRODUCTION: This study compared the diagnostic test accuracy of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with that of (18)F-fluoro-2-glucose-positron emission tomography/computed tomography (FDG-PET/CT) imaging in assessment of response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) in breast cancer. METHODS: A systematic search was performed in PubMed and EMBASE (last updated in June 2015). Studies investigating the performance of MRI and FDG-PET or FDG-PET/CT imaging during or after completion of NAC in patients with histologically proven breast cancer were eligible for inclusion. We considered only studies reporting a direct comparison between these imaging modalities to establish precise summary estimates in the same setting of patients. Pathologic response was considered as the reference standard. Two authors independently screened and selected studies that met the inclusion criteria and extracted the data. RESULTS: A total of 10 studies were included. The pooled estimates of sensitivity and specificity across all included studies were 0.71 and 0.77 for FDG-PET/CT (n = 535) and 0.88 and 0.55 for MRI (n = 492), respectively. Studies were subgrouped according to the time of therapy assessment. In the intra-NAC setting, FDG-PET/CT imaging outperformed MRI with fairly similar pooled sensitivity (0.91 vs. 0.89) and higher specificity (0.69 vs. 0.42). However, MRI appeared to have higher diagnostic accuracy than FDG-PET/CT imaging when performed after the completion of NAC, with significantly higher sensitivity (0.88 vs. 0.57). CONCLUSION: Analysis of the available studies of patients with breast cancer indicates that the timing of imaging for NAC-response assessment exerts a major influence on the estimates of diagnostic accuracy. FDG-PET/CT imaging outperformed MRI in intra-NAC assessment, whereas the overall performance of MRI was higher after completion of NAC, before surgery. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: The timing of therapy assessment imaging exerts a major influence on overall estimates of diagnostic accuracy. (18)F-fluoro-2-glucose-positron emission tomography (FDG-PET)/computed tomography (CT) imaging outperformed magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in intra-neoadjuvant chemotherapy assessment with fairly similar pooled sensitivity and higher specificity. However, MRI appeared to be more accurate than FDG-PET/CT in predicting pathologic response when used in the post-therapy setting.

FDG Avidity and Tumor Burden: Survival Outcomes for Patients With Recurrent Breast Cancer.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to assess the value of quantitative PET parameters in the prediction of survival for patients with recurrent breast cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study of 78 women who had recurrent breast cancer identified by biopsy or follow-up examinations from 2000 to 2012. The maximum and peak standardized uptake values (SUVmax and SUVpeak, respectively), metabolic tumor volume (MTV), and total lesion glycolysis (TLG) were measured for each recurrent lesion at primary, nodal, and distant metastatic sites, with the use of the gradient segmentation method. The optimum cutoff point (i.e., the value with the maximum Youden index, defined as sensitivity plus specificity minus 1) was calculated using the ROC curve. The median follow-up duration was 28.5 months (range, 0-94 months). The primary outcome measure was overall survival (OS). Kaplan-Meier survival plots and Cox regression analyses were performed. RESULTS: The mean (± SD) values noted for the study population were as follows: an SUVmax of 6.70 ± 4.1, an SUVpeak of 5.12 ± 3.4, total lesion glycolysis of all recurrent lesions (TLGtotal) of 359.73 ± 1114.4 g, and metabolic tumor volume of all recurrent lesions (MTVtotal) of 68.04 ± 144.9 mL. The mean OS for patients who died was 25.5 months, whereas for patients who survived, it was 36.7 months (p = 0.04). Univariate analysis showed that age (p = 0.02), optimum SUVmax (p = 0.006), SUVpeak (p = 0.006), and TLGtotal (p = 0.034) were associated with OS; however, none of the factors remained statistically significant in multivariate analysis. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was performed, and the SUVmax (threshold, 2.9; hazard ratio [HR], 5.2 [95% CI, 1.6-16.7]; p = 0.002), SUVpeak (threshold, 2.34; HR, 4.3 [95% CI, 1.5-12]; p = 0.002), and TLG (threshold, 11.85 g; HR, 2.8 [95% CI, 1.0-7.1]; p = 0.025) were statistically significant predictors of death during follow-up. An integrated risk stratification model with FDG avidity (SUVmax) and MTVtotal divided into three subgroups of patients predicted patient survival outcomes (HR, 2.48 [95% CI, 1.38-4.46]; p = 0.005, by log-rank test). CONCLUSION: FDG PET-determined SUVmax, SUVpeak, and TLG values and an integrated risk stratification scheme using FDG avidity and total tumor burden appear to provide prognostic survival information for patients with recurrent breast cancer.