FDG-PET on irradiated brain tumor: ten years' summary.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate FDG-PET in post-radiotherapy differentiation of tumor recurrence/malignant degeneration and radiation reaction, and to assess the role of PET in terms of survival.


METHODS
117 consecutive patients with a total of 156 FDG-PET examinations with positive but non-diagnostic MRI and/or CT were included. Final diagnosis was based on histopathology or correlated with radiologic and clinical follow-up. Brain metastases from lung carcinomas were further studied separately. Survival time was analysed using the Kaplan-Meier method.


RESULTS
There were 61 true-positive, 2 false-positive, 15 false-negative, and 51 true-negative PET examinations; 5 positive and 22 negative PET examinations were indeterminate. The positive predictive value of a PET examination was 96% in all and 100% in brain metastases from lung carcinoma. The negative predictive value based on the histopathologic results was 55.6%. Survival time was significantly longer in patients with negative PET.


CONCLUSIONS
FDG-PET is a valuable tool in the detection of tumor recurrence, especially lung carcinoma metastasis. FDG uptake is a prognostic marker.
Weilun PET Center, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, Guangzhou, P R China.
S X
SX
Wang
J
J
Boethius
K
K
Ericson
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000528:radiation effects; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000532:radiotherapy; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000556:secondary; D002648:Child; D003951:Diagnostic Errors / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D005910:Glioma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000532:radiotherapy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography / Q000379:methods*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D016019:Survival Analysis
D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18