Staging of pelvic lymph nodes in neoplasms of the bladder and prostate by positron emission tomography with 2-[(18)F]-2-deoxy-D-glucose.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to evaluate whether pelvic lymph node metastases in patients with neoplasms of the bladder or prostate can be detected applying positron emission tomography with 2-[(18)F]-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG-PET).


METHODS
Eight patients with bladder cancer and 17 patients with prostate cancer were examined with FDG-PET before pelvic lymph node dissection. Results of PET were then compared to histology of pelvic lymph nodes obtained at surgery.


RESULTS
Lymph node metastases were detected by histopathological examination in 3 patients with bladder cancer and in 6 patients with prostate cancer. At the sites with histologically proven metastases, increased FDG uptake suspicious of metastatic disease was found in 2/3 and 4/6 patients, respectively. The smallest detected metastasis was a micrometastasis with a diameter of 0.9 cm. In 3 additional patients who all had histopathologically proven micrometastases ( </=0.5 cm), FDG uptake was within the normal range. No false-positive results were obtained.


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that FDG-PET may be a valuable diagnostic tool in the staging of pelvic lymph nodes in bladder and prostate cancer.
Heicappell
R
R
Department of Urology, Heinrich-Heine-Universität, Düsseldorf, Germany. heicappell@medizin.fu-berlin.de
Müller-Mattheis
V
V
Reinhardt
M
M
Vosberg
H
H
Gerharz
C D
CD
Müller-Gärtner
H
H
Ackermann
R
R
D000368:Aged; D003847:Deoxyglucose; D005260:Female; D005462:Fluorine Radioisotopes; D006801:Humans; D008197:Lymph Node Excision; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010388:Pelvis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed; D001749:Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery
D005462:Fluorine Radioisotopes; D003847:Deoxyglucose