Can 18F-FDG PET/CT SUVmax values predict breast and axillary pathological complete response before neoadjuvant chemotherapy in breast cancer?

OBJECTIVES: We aimed to investigate whether maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) values of breast mass and axilla metastatic lymph nodes are effective independent predictive factors for breast and axillary pathological complete response (PCR) before neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC). METHODS: Factors investigated in predicting were age, type of pathology, tumor size, number of axillary pathological lymph nodes, hormone receptor (HR) positivity, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) positivity, triple negativity, Ki-67 level, multifocality, SUVmax of breast and axillary SUVmax. RESULTS: Based on regression analysis, tumor size, HR positivity, Ki-67 level, HER2 positivity, and breast SUVmax were independent predictive factors for PCR of breast after NAC, while HR positivity, Ki-67 level ≥ 14, multifocality, and breast SUVmax were independent predictive factors for axillary PCR after NAC. CONCLUSIONS: Breast SUVmax value before NAC is an independent predictive factor for breast and axillary PCR.