Metabolic Tumor Burden
Pronunciation: M-T-B
Also written as: MTB — Metabolic Tumor Burden
Quantitative measure of total disease burden based on metabolically active tumor tissue in PET imaging.
Full Definition
Metabolic Tumor Burden represents a comprehensive quantitative assessment of total disease burden that incorporates both tumor volume and metabolic activity as measured by PET imaging. MTB is typically calculated as the product of metabolic tumor volume and mean SUV, providing a single metric that reflects the total amount of metabolically active tumor tissue throughout the body. This parameter has shown promise as a prognostic biomarker and for monitoring treatment response, particularly in hematologic malignancies and metastatic solid tumors.
Usage
Usage note: Specify the SUV threshold and segmentation method used for MTB calculation.
In Context
- "The patient's metabolic tumor burden decreased by 60% following three cycles of chemotherapy." — PET response assessment
- "Baseline MTB served as a strong predictor of overall survival in this cohort." — Clinical research report