Standardized uptake values highly correlate with tumor size and Fuhrman grade in patients with clear cell renal cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND We investigated the correlation between standardized uptake value (SUVmax), tumor size and Fuhrman grade in patients with renal cell carcinoma (RC). MATERIALS AND METHODS We retrospectively analyzed the data of 54 patients with clear cell renal cell carcinoma histopathologically diagnosed who underwent fluorine-18 fluoro-2 deoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (F-18 FDG PET/CT) between January 2005 and March 2014. RESULTS Avarage tumor sizes were 5.64±1.85, 6.85±2.24 and 7.98±2.45 in low, medium and high SUVmax groups, respectively. The Spearman's correlation coefficient between the tumor size and SUVmax was 0.385 (p=0.004) and between the Fuhrman grade and SUVmax was 0.578 (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS SUVmax appears highly correlated with tumor size and Fuhrman grade in patients with histopathologically confirmed clear cell RC. Multicenter studies are needed to provide larger series for more accurate results.