Clinical contribution of 18F-FDG PET/CT in patients with pediatric bone tissue and soft tissue sarcoma; a retrospective study

Abstract

Objective

To assess whether parameters derived from ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT imaging could be used for prognostic evaluation in pediatric patients with bone and soft tissue sarcomas.

Material and methods

This retrospective study included pediatric patients diagnosed with sarcoma who underwent ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT between February 2013 and January 2021. A total of 63 patients were evaluated. Anatomical tumor volume, standardized uptake values (SUV), metabolic tumor volume (MTV), and total lesion glycolysis (TLG) were measured. Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were calculated. Cox regression analysis was performed to identify independent predictors.

Results

The mortality rate was 31.7%, and the median OS was 54.9 months. Lung (p < 0.001) and lymph node metastases (p = 0.049) were associated with shorter OS. Younger age at diagnosis (p = 0.014), higher anatomical tumor volume (p = 0.002), and lung metastasis (p = 0.004) were independently associated with increased mortality risk. High MTV was independently associated with higher progression risk (p < 0.001).

Conclusion

Anatomical tumor volume and lung metastasis predict mortality, while MTV predicts progression in pediatric sarcoma. Further prospective studies are needed to validate these findings.