title: Prospective comparison of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography and whole-body magnetic resonance imaging in staging of advanced malignant melanoma.
abstract: The aim of our study was to compare the overall and site-based accuracy and impact on patient management of positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) and whole-body (wb) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in staging of advanced melanoma. In a prospective blinded study, 64 patients with American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) stage III/IV melanoma underwent 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose PET/CT and wbMRI. In total 420 lesions were evaluated. The overall accuracy of PET/CT was 86.7% compared to 78.8% for wbMRI (P=0.0007). PET/CT was significantly more accurate in N-staging and detecting of skin and subcutaneous metastases, whereas wbMRI was more sensitive in detecting liver, bone and brain metastases. WbMRI was less sensitive but more specific than PET/CT in classifying pulmonary lesions. In 41 patients (64%) whole-body imaging caused changes of treatment. Whole-body staging of patients with advanced melanoma is most accurate by combining wbPET/CT and organ-specific wbMRI including a brain, liver and bone marrow protocol.
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Eberhard-Karls-University Tuebingen, Hoppe-Seyler-Strasse 3, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany. christina.pfannenberg@med.uni-tuebingen.de
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pfannenberg
authors.forename: Philip
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Aschoff
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schanz
authors.forename: Susanne M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Eschmann
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Plathow
authors.forename: Thomas K
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Eigentler
authors.forename: Claus
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Garbe
authors.forename: Klaus
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Brechtel
authors.forename: Reinhard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Vonthein
authors.forename: Roland
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bares
authors.forename: Claus D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Claussen
authors.forename: Heinz P
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Schlemmer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging / Q000379:methods; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography / Q000379:methods; D012015:Reference Standards; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D051598:Whole Body Imaging / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18