title: Minimally invasive surgical biopsy confirms PET findings in esophageal cancer.
abstract: This report describes our initial experience using positron emission tomography (PET) scanning in esophageal cancer patients. In two patients PET identified distant metastatic disease missed by conventional staging. Laparoscopic biopsy provided histological confirmation of metastases. In the third patient, locoregional lymph nodes were identified by PET and confirmed by surgical staging. In this preliminary report, PET appears to be a promising new noninvasive modality for staging patients with esophageal cancer.
authors.affiliation: University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, 300 Kaufmann Building, 3471 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA.
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Luketich
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Schauer
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Urso
authors.forename: D W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Townsend
authors.forename: C P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Belani
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cidis Meltzer
authors.forename: P F
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Ferson
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Keenan
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary; D000368:Aged; D001706:Biopsy / Q000379:methods*; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019060:Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D012446:Sacroiliac Joint / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D013125:Spinal Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed
chemical_list: D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18