Pre-Radiation Therapy Fluorine 18 Fluorodeoxyglucose PET Helps Identify Patients with Esophageal Cancer at High Risk for Radiation Pneumonitis.

Purpose: To examine the association between pre-radiation therapy (RT) fluorine 18 fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) uptake and post-RT symptomatic radiation pneumonitis (RP).

Materials And Methods: In accordance with the retrospective study protocol approved by the institutional review board, 228 esophageal cancer patients who underwent FDG PET/CT before chemotherapy and RT were examined. RP symptoms were evaluated by using the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events, version 4.