Relationship between clinicopathological factors and fluorine-18-fluorodeoxyglucose uptake in patients with papillary thyroid cancer

Abstract

F-FDG uptake in PTC may be determined by GLUT-3 and GLUT-4 expressions and may be related to tumor size and lymph node metastasis of PTC. F-FDG uptake may reflect tumor progression of PTC.

Association Between 18F-FDG Avidity and the BRAF Mutation in Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma

“…In the initial multivariate analysis, among the various clinicopathologic factors, tumor size and BRAF mutation status were significantly associated with 18 F-FDG avidity. Several studies have shown that the 18 F-FDG uptake of PTCs is significantly associated with tumor size [1][2][3], similar to our study. However, when we performed subgroup analyses in two groups defined by tumor size (< 1 and≥ 1 cm, considering the PET resolution), the BRAF mutation status was the only factor significantly associated with 18 F-FDG avidity in the larger size tumor subgroup (≥ 1 cm), whereas the association between tumor size and avidity was not significant in the two subgroups.…”

“…However, there were also conflicting reports [1][2][3]6] that those parameters are not an independent predictor of 18 F-FDG uptake in PTC, as shown in our study. These results might reflect that the high 18 F-FDG uptake in cancer cells is not necessarily the consequence of rapid proliferation, but is caused by the activation of oncogenic pathways that regulate transporters and enzymes involved in the metabolism of glucose [18].…”

“…GLUT-1 expression is well correlated with 18 F-FDG uptake in several cancers [19][20][21][22]. However, recent contradictory studies reported that 18 F-FDG uptake in PTC was not correlated with GLUT-1 [1,3,23]. Rather than GLUT-1, 18 F-FDG uptake of PTC may be associated with HIF-1α [3] or GLUT-3 or −4 [1].…”

“…Many studies have attempted to identify factors associated with 18 F-FDG uptake in PTC, with tumor size associated with positive 18 F-FDG uptake [1][2][3]. However, reports regarding the associations of other factors and the 18 F-FDG uptake are inconsistent.…”

“…However, reports regarding the associations of other factors and the 18 F-FDG uptake are inconsistent. Several studies have shown that the 18 F-FDG avidity of PTC is related to known poor prognosis factors [4], such as lymph node metastasis [2,5] and perithyroidal extension [5], although there are conflicting results [1][2][3]6].…”