Pet Scan results

On a recent pet scan, the findings noted changes in something called an SUV value. For instance, in the last pet scan three months ago, a 1.5cm lymphadenopathy showed an SUV value of 5.1 and now it is 5.25. A left renal fossa mass had an SUV of 10.2, but now is 8.18. What do these SUV values mean, and is a higher number an indication of growth or shrinking?

[555boston]

SUV stands for standard uptake value. In general any lesion seen on the scan with SUV of more than 3 indicates metabolic activity, that is, it is not scar tissue. It maybe hypermetabolic due to infections, or inflammation or cancer. Higher number means more metabolic activity.

Measurement of SUV is technically challenging. If the calculation is not done at the same time, values may differ. The numebrs you posted (around 5 for the lymphnode and between 8-10 for the renal fossa) are definitely in the hypermetabolic range, however the difference between the SUVs is not a lot. If the size of the lymphnode and the renal fossa mass has not increased between the scans, then I wouldnt try to read too much into the difference in the SUV values. On the other hand, if the size has also increased then there is reason to be concerned.
      

[md1johnson]

I have the same thing your mother does. How is she doing and when was she told she had NH lymphoma?

[cricci]

About 8 months ago, I caught a horrible virus.  I had persistent itching and swollen neck lymphnodes so my doctor sent me to get an MRI scan of neck, which showed mildly enlarged bilateral lympnodes(the largest, 1.9cm). My mother has non-hodgkins lymphoma and her doctor suggested I do a repeat MRI scan, which I did two months later. It still showed enlarged lymph nodes of the same size. He was wary of doing a biopsy, so he sent me for a pet scan instead which was completely normal. He told me it was highly unlikely I had lymphoma and to just watch my lymphnodes. My question is: Is this enough to rule out lymphoma? The itching is still there, and I can still feel enlarged lymphnodes on my neck. And I often feel a little off, like something isn't right, though I have horrible sinusitis. What would you suggest?
  

[555boston]

Lymphoma can not be diagnosed on the basis of PET scan. A lymphnode biopsy is the only way to diagnose lymphomas.

Most of high grade lymphomas are positive on PET scan while low grade lymphomas may not be active.

[jeanrn1954]

What is the highest SUV number.  my dad's PET scan showed multiple hypermetabolic lesions the highest one was 12.5 left parotid mass.  the right was 6.3 and then there were level 3 and level 5 lymph nodes.  I know that this is CA and it is all over his body but I am trying to figure out what this report is saying in terms of how fast these are growing.

[rebecca1010]

I came across this site trying to determine what SUV values meant. I have not successfully done that yet, but I saw your posting and felt the need to comment. My husband was recently diagnosed with level 4 malignant melanoma. It's in his lower abdomen and measures 5x5 centimeters in size. At this point it is too deep to remove, we are waiting on an appt. with M.D. Anderson for a second opinion. Anyway, his PETScan showed an SUV value of 57, which the Dr. said was very high. The copy of the results states "...demonstrates intense abnormal activity on PET scan with a maximum SUV value of about 57". Can anyone help me understand what this means?

[jeanrn1954]

rebecca1010
I did some research today and the SUV is the Standardized Uptake Values.  I was unable to determine the highest value but apparently anything over a 3 is considered hypermetabolic meaning fast growing.  the PET scan is done after an injection of a glucose and radioactive isotope combination which shows up on the scan in areas that are likely cancerous because of the rapid growth rate of the cells.  So the higher the SUV the faster the growth is.  I'm sorry to hear about your husband.  I am not sure about 57 however.  Could it have been 5.7 instead?  That seems more in the ranges that they have listed in all of the research.  The highest number that I could find was 14.  Anyway I hope things work out for him.

[Sara1943]

Recent PET scan after six months chemo for recurrent, mestastic colon cancer showed no signs of the cancer that had recurrent in his colon nor the mestastic lung nodule with a SUV of 4.1 in his lower left lung, but now there is a nodule in his right upper lung with a SUV of 2.3.  We are going to wait six weeks and do blood work and then at 12 weeks we are going to have another CTScan and a PETScan.  Does this mean that at present  there is another hot spot in his right lung?

[johnatCCO]

How high can SUV's go (not Sports Utility Vehicles, the other ones)?
rebecca1010 says her husband had "57" "which the doctor said was very high", you suggest it may be a typo for "5.7", and say the highest you could find was 14.  
Maybe 57 was correct, though extraordinarily high: I just got back my results from a PET scan last week: 19.2!  (another tumour is 6.7; the mass with 6.1 may not be a tumour at all, but an inflammation site from another operation)  This 19.2 (1" x .5") upstart did not show at all in a CT scan 4 weeks earlier, which means it is growing fast, as the high intake of sugar would suggest.  
Needless to say, this has disarranged many of my plans for the future.