SUVmean
Also written as: SUVmean — mean Standardized Uptake Value
The average standardized uptake value measured across a region of interest on PET imaging, providing metabolic activity assessment.
Full Definition
Mean Standardized Uptake Value (SUVmean) represents the average metabolic activity within a defined region of interest on positron emission tomography (PET) imaging. Unlike SUVmax which measures peak activity, SUVmean provides a more stable and reproducible metric less susceptible to image noise and partial volume effects. SUVmean is particularly useful for treatment response assessment, as it better reflects overall tumor metabolic burden and shows less variability between measurements. It is increasingly preferred for quantitative PET analysis in oncologic imaging protocols.
Usage
Usage note: Distinguish from SUVmax (peak value) and SUVpeak (average of highest voxels)
In Context
- "The mediastinal lymph node showed SUVmean of 8.2, indicating active disease." — PET/CT report
- "Response assessment utilized SUVmean rather than SUVmax for improved reproducibility." — Clinical protocol