Glucose transporter (Glut) protein expression and hexokinase activity are both upregulated.7 By administration of 18F‐fluorodeoxyglucose (18F‐FDG), the dysfunction of glucose metabolism can be measured quantitatively in vivo.8 However, the significance of the maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) on FDG‐positron emission tomography (PET) remains controversial.9, 10, 11, 12 As the evidence for the clinical value of FDG uptake in NSCLC patients remains limited, this cohort study was performed in peripheral cN0 NSCLC patients with tumor size ≤2 cm. Here, SLC2A1 is linked to non-small cell lung carcinoma.