Glucose Metabolism and Its Complicated Relationship with Tumor Growth and Perfusion in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma

OBJECTIVE: To determine the relationship between tumor glucose metabolism and tumor blood flow (TBF) in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 57 HNSCC patients. Tumor glucose metabolism was assessed by maximum and mean standardized uptake values (SUVmax and SUVmean) obtained by (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron-emission tomography. TBF values were obtained by arterial spin labeling with 3-tesla MRI. The correlations between both SUVs and TBF were assessed in the total series and among patients divided by T-stage (T1–T3 and T4 groups) and tumor location (pharynx/oral cavity and sinonasal cavity groups). Pearson’s correlation coefficients were calculated for significant correlations. RESULTS: Significant correlations were detected: a negative correlation in the advanced T-stage group (TBF and SUV max: r, −0.61, SUVmean: r, −0.62), a positive correlation in the non-advanced T-stage pharynx/oral cavity group (TBF and SUVmax: r, 0.70, SUVmean: r, 0.73), a negative correlation in the advanced T-stage pharynx/oral cavity group (TBF and SUVmax: r, −0.62, SUVmean: r, −0.65), and a negative correlation in the advanced T-stage sinonasal cavity group (TBF and SUVmax: r, −0.61, SUVmean: r, −0.65). CONCLUSION: Significant correlations between glucose uptake and TBF in HNSCC were revealed by the division of T-stage and tumor location.