[Clinical value of positron emission tomography-CT for the diagnosis of postoperative recurrence and metastasis in the patients with esophageal cancer].
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the clinical value of the whole-body (18)F-fluoro-deoxy-D-glucose positron emission tomography with computerized tomography (PET-CT) for recurrence and distant metastasis after curative resection of the esophagus cancer.


METHODS
From June 2003 to June 2004, thirty-one patients with clinical or radiologic suspicion of recurrent disease underwent conventional diagnostic work-up, including a spiral CT scan, and a dedicated whole-body PET-CT. All cases were examined by pathology or followed-up for 6 months.


RESULTS
Among the 31 cases, recurrences were found in 23 patients, and 43 recurrent lesions were detected, including 14 perianastomotic lesions and 43 regional and distant lesions. For the diagnosis of recurrence, the accuracy, sensitivity and specificity of PET-CT were 97.7%, 100%, and 85.7%, while those of conventional CT were 77.3%, 61.7%, and 78.6% respectively. The sensitivity of PET-CT was significantly higher than that of conventional CT (100% vs 61.7%; chi (2)=4.161, P=0.041).


CONCLUSIONS
The sensitivity of PET-CT is higher than that of conventional CT. PET-CT will play an important role in the diagnosis of postoperative recurrence and metastasis of esophageal cancer.
Zhang
Jian-dong
JD
Department of Radiation Oncology, Shandong Cancer Hosptial and Institute, Jinan 256400, China. zhangjd165@sina.com
Yu
Jin-Ming
JM
Guo
Hong-bo
HB
Sun
Xiao-rong
XR
Xing
Li-gang
LG
Li
Gong
G
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D011184:Postoperative Period; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*