Detection of unsuspected distant metastases and/or regional nodes by FDG-PET [corrected] scan in apparent limited-disease small-cell lung cancer.
We retrospectively investigated the clinical usefulness of fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) for evaluation of patients with limited-disease small-cell lung cancer (LD-SCLC) diagnosed by conventional staging procedures. Sixty-three patients received whole body FDG-PET scans after routine initial staging procedures. The findings of FDG-PET scans suggesting extensive-stage disease were confirmed by other imaging tests or by the patient's clinical course. FDG-PET scan findings indicated distant metastases in 6 of 63 patients. Metastatic disease was confirmed in five of these six patients (8%, 95% confidence interval: 3-18%). FDG-PET scan also detected regional lymph node metastases even in nine patients (14%) in whom computed tomography images had been negative, including contralateral lymph node metastasis in three patients. FDG-PET scan detected additional lesions in patients diagnosed as having LD-SCLC by conventional staging procedures. The therapeutic strategies were changed in 8% of patients based on the results of FDG-PET. FDG-PET scan is recommended as an initial staging tool for patients with this disease.
Niho
Seiji
S
Division of Thoracic Oncology, National Cancer Center Hospital East, Kashiwanoha 6-5-1, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8577, Japan. siniho@east.ncc.go.jp
Fujii
Hirofumi
H
Murakami
Koji
K
Nagase
Seisuke
S
Yoh
Kiyotaka
K
Goto
Koichi
K
Ohmatsu
Hironobu
H
Kubota
Kaoru
K
Sekiguchi
Ryuzo
R
Nawano
Shigeru
S
Saijo
Nagahiro
N
Nishiwaki
Yutaka
Y
D000368:Aged; D018288:Carcinoma, Small Cell / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000556:secondary*; D005260:Female; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals
D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18