The relationship of 18F-FDG PET/CT SUVmax values with molecular subtypes and hormone receptors in breast cancer patients

Positron Emission Tomography–Computed Tomography (PET-CT) serves as a complementary imaging modality in breast cancer staging and therapeutic monitoring. SUV (standardized uptake value) represents the concentration of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) radiotracer per tissue volume, normalized for injected dose and body weight. This study explored associations between 18F-FDG PET/CT (derived SUVmax measurements and breast cancer molecular classifications, assessing metabolic variations across subtypes characterized by hormone receptor expression patterns. We enrolled breast cancer patients who underwent 18F-FDG PET/CT scanning at the Surgical Oncology Department, Health Sciences University Faculty of Medicine, Gulhane Training and Research Hospital. We investigated relationships between maximum standardized uptake values (indicating metabolic activity) and molecular classifications. Additionally, we examined correlations between SUVmax and immunohistochemical markers such as Ki-67 proliferation index, HER2 (human epidermal growth factor receptor 2), ER (Estrogen receptor) and PR (progesterone receptor) expression. Our analysis encompassed 102 patients. Molecular subtype categorization demonstrated statistically significant SUVmax differences (p