Lymph node staging in lung cancer using [18F]FDG-PET.
BACKGROUND
Mediastinal lymph node staging is essential to determine treatment options in patients with NSCLC. Positron emission tomography (PET) detects increased glucose uptake in malignant tissue using the glucose analogue 2-[(18)F]fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG).


METHODS
In the present study were evaluated 155 patients with focal pulmonary tumors who underwent both preoperative computed tomography (CT) and FDG-PET scanning (116 malignant and 39 benign lesions).


RESULTS
Findings in 155 patients included 116 malignant and 39 benign lesions. For N-staging, FDG-PET showed a sensitivity of 88%, a specificity of 91%, and an accuracy of 89%. Corresponding figures for CT were 77%, 76%, and 77%, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
FDG-PET is an effective, noninvasive method for staging thoracic lymph nodes in patients with lung cancer and is superior to CT scanning in the assessment of hilar and mediastinal nodal metastases. With regard to operability, FDG-PET could differentiate reliable between patients with N1/N2 disease and those with unresectable N3 disease.
Halter
G
G
Department of Thoracic and Vascular Surgery, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany. gisela.halter@medizin.uni-ulm.de
Buck
A K
AK
Schirrmeister
H
H
Aksoy
E
E
Liewald
F
F
Glatting
G
G
Neumaier
B
B
Mühling
B
B
Nüssle-Kügele
K
K
Hetzel
M
M
Sunder-Plassmann
L
L
Reske
S N
SN
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002276:Carcinoid Tumor / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D018287:Carcinoma, Large Cell / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology*; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology*; D005189:False Positive Reactions; D005260:Female; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology*; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011446:Prospective Studies; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18