Wang S, Lin D, Yang X, et al. - By performing this retrospective study of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients, researchers assessed the clinical utility of the maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) of primary tumors in NSCLC. This analysis included peripheral cN0 NSCLC patients with tumor size ≤ 2 cm. SUVmax was computed as a continuous variable for semiquantitative analyses. SUVmax was shown to have significant correlations with smoking status, tumor volume, pathology type, tumor differentiation, vessel invasion, plural invasion, pT stage, nodal involvement, and pathological tumor node metastasis stage, as indicated in statistical analyses. Pathological nodal metastasis could be predicted by a cutoff point of SUVmax of 3.8. Findings revealed that the prediction of pathological nodal metastasis and prognosis in peripheral cN0 NSCLC patients with tumor size ≤ 2 cm was enabled by preoperative SUVmax. An improved stratification in these patients could be achieved by evaluating positron emission tomography SUVmax.