A novel method to evaluate local control of lung cancer in stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) treatment using 18f-Fdg positron emission tomography (PET)

Author

• Vindu Kathriarachchi

Author Type

Graduate Student

Date of Award

2013

Document Type

Thesis

Publication Status

Version of Record

Submission Date

October 2026

Thesis/Dissertation Advisor [Chair]

Shang, Charles

Thesis/Dissertation Co-Chair

Department of Physics

Abstract

An improved method is introduced for prediction of local tumor control following lung stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) for early stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients using 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (18F-FDG PET). A normalized background-corrected tumor maximum Standard Uptake Value (SUVcmax) is introduced using the mean uptake of adjacent aorta (SUVref), instead of the maximum uptake of lung tumor (SUVmax). This method minimizes the variations associated with SUVmax and objectively demonstrates a strong correlation between the low SUVcmax (< 2.5-3.0) and local control of post lung SBRT. The false positive rates of both SUVmax and SUVcmax increase with inclusion of early (<6 months) PET scans, therefore such inclusion is not recommended for assessing local tumor control of post lung SBRT.

Extent

81 p.

Comments

Includes bibliography.|Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2013.|Includes bibliography.

Recommended Citation

Kathriarachchi, Vindu, "A novel method to evaluate local control of lung cancer in stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) treatment using 18f-Fdg positron emission tomography (PET)" (2013). Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019. 679.
https://digitalcommons.fau.edu/etd_general_6/679

Identifier

FA0004029

Format

pdf