Our results suggest that MTV measured by (18)F-FDG PET/CT has independent prognostic value of in patients with HNSCC, stronger than SUVmax.

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Background This study aimed at assessing the prognostic value of textural indices extracted from 18F‐fluorodeoxyglucose positron‐emission tomography (FDG‐PET)/CT in a large cohort of patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC) of any anatomic subsite and staging. Methods Consecutive patients with HNSCC referred for a pretreatment FDG‐PET/CT were retrospectively included and followed up for a minimum of 2 years. Standardized uptake value, metabolic tumor volume (MTV), and textural indices were calculated using LIFEx software. Prognostic significance of parameters was assessed in univariate and multivariate analysis. Results Textural indices were extracted in 284 patients (mean age = 63.7±9.6 years). In univariate analysis, MTV and 4 textural indices—Correlation, Entropy, Energy, and Coarseness—were significantly correlated with overall survival (OS). In multivariate analysis, MTV (P = .008) and Correlation (P = .028) remained independently correlated to OS. Conclusion This study showed that MTV and 1 textural index extracted from pretherapeutic FDG‐PET/CT (Correlation) were independent prognostic factors of OS in patients with HNSCC.

Early therapeutic response demonstrated on FDG PET/CT after two cycles of induction chemotherapy with DCF in patients with inoperable stage III/IV HNSCC seems to be a predictive factor for EFS.

Our results did not prove a prognostic interest of percentage variation of metabolic tumor burden in patients with HNSCC but confirmed that RI and MTV are independently correlated with RFS. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 38: E600-E606, 2016.