Analysis of gene expression profiles of hepatocellular carcinomas with regard to 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose uptake pattern on positron emission tomography.

Purpose: 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) uptake on positron emission tomography (PET) scan has been found to reflect tumour aggressiveness and prognosis in various types of cancer. In this study, the gene expression profiles of hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) were evaluated to determine whether HCCs with high 18F-FDG uptake have more aggressive biological potential than those with low uptake.

Methods: Surgical specimens were obtained from ten patients with HCC (six males and four females, age range 38-68 years).