Our meta-analysis suggests that the primary tumor SUV measurement has a prognostic value in NSCLC; these results should be confirmed in a meta-analysis on individual patients' data.

We confirmed the results of our previous review showing that SUV is potentially a very interesting factor for predicting patient outcome. We believe that a meta-analysis based on individual patient data would be of great value as allowing to assess the independent prognostic value, to take into account some factors responsible for heterogeneity between studies (SUV assessment method, disease stage, and histology), and to update survival data. We are planning to conduct such a meta-analysis on behalf of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer Staging Project.

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