Prognostic value of thoracic FDG PET imaging after treatment for non-small cell lung cancer.
OBJECTIVE
We determined the prognostic value of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) for patients with treated lung cancer.


METHODS
We examined patients who underwent FDG PET after first-line treatment for non-small cell lung cancer. FDG PET results were correlated with survival rates to determine whether FDG PET findings were predictive of outcomes.


RESULTS
After initial therapy, 113 patients with non-small cell lung cancer underwent FDG PET. One hundred patients had positive FDG PET results and a median survival of 12 months (95% confidence interval, 9.2-15.4). Thirteen patients had negative FDG PET results, and 11 (85%) of these patients are still living at a median follow-up of 34 months. The difference in survival for patients with positive and negative FDG PET results was statistically significant (p = 0.002).


CONCLUSIONS
FDG PET has prognostic value and strongly correlates with survival rates of patients with treated lung cancer. Patients with positive FDG PET results have a significantly worse prognosis than patients with negative results. Additionally, FDG PET may be helpful in guiding therapeutic treatments.
Patz
E F
EF
Department of Radiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA.
Connolly
J
J
Herndon
J
J
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D015996:Survival Rate; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18