Radiation Pneumonitis: Local Dose Versus [18F]-Fluorodeoxyglucose Uptake Response in Irradiated Lung

Thomas Guerrero, Valen Johnson, Justin Hart, Tinsu Pan, Meena Khan, Dershan Luo, Zhongxing Liao, Jaffer Ajani, Craig Stevens, Ritsuko Komaki

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

59 Scopus citations

Abstract

Purpose: To quantify the relationship between the local radiation dose received and the posttreatment positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) [18F]2-fluoro-2-deoxyglucose (FDG) uptake in the lung. Methods and Materials: The data from 36 patients treated for esophageal cancer with thoracic radiotherapy who underwent restaging PET/CT imaging between 4 and 12 weeks after radiotherapy completion were evaluated. Their treatment planning CT was registered with the restaging PET/CT. Using histogram analysis, the voxel average FDG-PET uptake vs. radiation dose was obtained for each case. Hierarchical linear regression models for each patient were applied to study the variation in the linear trends between cases. Deviation of the dose-response curve from a linear model was tested. Results: The median time between radiotherapy completion and FDG-PET imaging was 40 days (range, 26-70 days). The median of the mean standard uptake value in the lung that received 0-5 Gy was 0.63 (range, 0.36-1.27), 5-10 Gy was 0.77 (range, 0.40-1.35), 10-20 Gy was 0.80 (range, 0.40-1.72), and >20 Gy was 1.08 (range, 0.44-2.63). A hierarchical linear regression model of the radiation dose and normalized FDG uptake per case found an adequate fit with the linear model, and the addition of quadratic and logarithmic functions did not improve the fit. The 36 cases had a posterior mean of slopes range of 0.0048-0.069. Conclusion: The regional dose vs. radiation pneumonitis response was evaluated with FDG-PET/CT imaging. Statistical modeling found a linear relationship. The slope of this relationship varied over an order of magnitude, reflecting the range of the underlying biological response to radiation among the study population.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)1030-1035
Number of pages6
JournalInternational Journal of Radiation Oncology Biology Physics
Volume68
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - Jul 15 2007

Keywords

  • Computed tomography
  • Positron emission tomography
  • Pulmonary injury
  • Radiation pneumonitis

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Radiation
  • Oncology
  • Radiology Nuclear Medicine and imaging
  • Cancer Research

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