Serial assessment of FDG-PET FDG uptake and functional volume during radiotherapy (RT) in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)

FDG-PET images can be analysed during thoracic RT, given either alone or with chemotherapy, without disturbing radiation-induced artefacts. An average 50% decrease in SUVmax was observed around 40-45 Gy (i.e., during week 5 of RT). The three delineation methods yielded consistent volume measurements before RT and during the first week of RT, while manual delineation appeared to be more reliable later on during RT.