Is FDG-PET texture analysis related to intratumor biological heterogeneity in lung cancer?

Objectives: We aimed at investigating the origin of the correlations between tumor volume and F-FDG-PET texture indices in lung cancer.

Methods: Eighty-five consecutive patients with newly diagnosed non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) underwent a F-FDG-PET/CT scan before treatment. Seven phantom spheres uniformly filled with F-FDG, and covering a range of activities and volumes similar to that found in lung tumors, were also scanned.