The role of PET scan in the preoperative management of oesophageal cancer.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of the 18F-FDG-PET in the preoperative evaluation of patients with oesophageal or gastro-oesophageal junction (GEJ) cancer and to define its impact on therapeutic management.


METHODS
This study included 58 patients with biopsy proven oesophageal or GEJ cancer who underwent PET in addition to the conventional diagnostic work-up. The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of CT and PET were calculated for detection of tumour and distant metastases.


RESULTS
The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of tumour detection were, respectively, 84, 100 and 84% for CT and 87, 100 and 87% for PET (p=ns). PET permitted detection of distant metastases, which were not seen on CT in seven patients. In two patients, a second primary tumour was detected on PET.


CONCLUSIONS
The sensitivity of PET for loco regional lymph nodes detection is low. The major clinical impact is the detection of distant metastases.
Liberale
G
G
Medicosurgical Department of Gastroenterology, Medical School, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Erasmus Hospital, Route de Lennik 808, 1070 Brussel, Belgium. gabriel.liberale@skynet.be
Van Laethem
J L
JL
Gay
F
F
Goldman
S
S
Nagy
N
N
Coppens
E
E
Gelin
M
M
El Nakadi
I
I
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D004943:Esophagogastric Junction / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18